Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation paid a visit to the Thalassemia Centre on March 30 to meet children being treated here.

She inquired after their health and progress of treatment, as well as presented gifts to the children.

Leyla Aliyeva took interest in the aspects that were necessary for the Centre’s future operation and said the Foundation has always attached importance to matters concerning healthcare, especially children’s health.

Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev highlighted treatment of the children at the Center, underlining that the Center is an important health institution in terms of both medical and moral support to those who suffer from this disease.

The Republican Centre for Thalassemia, created with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in 2009 under "For life without Thalassemia" program, leads great work to combat such a wide-spread decease as thalassemia.

Thalassemia is blood disorder characterized by abnormal formation of hemoglobin and children with thalassemia need blood transfusions 1-2 times in a month. Without the appropriate treatment, such children can live no longer than 10 years.

Azerbaijan is ranked fourth in the world in terms of spread of thalassemia. Research has shown that 8 percent of Azerbaijanis are carriers of the thalassemia gene.

The establishment of the Center made it possible to achieve serious, significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of this decease including creation of blood bank, development of voluntary blood donation for children suffering from thalassemia.

Before the implementation of the "Life without thalassemia" program, there were certain difficulties in connection with the donation of blood, medicines, in the field of information, diagnosis and treatment of thalassemia.

Now, all costs of diagnosis and treatment are paid by the state.

Currently, about 2,600 patients, 900 of whom regularly transfused donor blood are registered in the Centre for Thalassemia.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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