Every 12 Azerbaijani Suffers from Thalassemia

Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend , corr. S. Babayeva/Sanan Karimov, the Deputy of the Azerbaijan Health Minister, has said at the International Conference for Troubles Caused by Thalassemia being held in Baku that every12 Azerbaijani suffers from thalassemia.

According to him, each year about 200 new-born babies are born with this disease. The total registered number of those who suffer from thalassemia has exceeded 1,000 people. Last year the Cabinet of Ministers of the Country approved the State Programme for Heritable Blood Diseases - Hemophilia and Thalassemia, within which every year the State allocates funds for providing those who suffer from this disease with the necessary medicines, free of charge.

According to the Chief Hematologist of the Health Ministry, Chingiz Asadov, corresponding work is currently being carried out to reduce the spread of this disease amongst new-born infants.

According to him, holding this conference, from the point of view of fighting against this disease may be of a great significance. The Conference is being held today and tomorrow under the organization of the Azerbaijan Hematologists and Transfusiologists Society and the Turkish Medical Society of Hemoglobin.

Hematologists and transfusiologists representing Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Italy, Ukraine and Switzerland are expected to participate in the work of the Conference. A total of 40 foreign specialists have been invited to participate in the event. The present Conference is targeted at thalassemia in each of the member-states of the Conference, as well as means of combatting this disease and the development of co-operation between the countries.