Thalassemia in Thailand
Issued Date
2022-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
03630269
eISSN
1532432X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85135890180
Pubmed ID
35950590
Journal Title
Hemoglobin
Volume
46
Issue
1
Start Page
53
End Page
57
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Hemoglobin Vol.46 No.1 (2022) , 53-57
Suggested Citation
Paiboonsukwong K., Jopang Y., Winichagoon P., Fucharoen S. Thalassemia in Thailand. Hemoglobin Vol.46 No.1 (2022) , 53-57. 57. doi:10.1080/03630269.2022.2025824 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/83889
Title
Thalassemia in Thailand
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Thailand has a population of 66.2 million with 30.0–40.0% of them carrying thalassemia genes. Interaction of these thalassemia genes lead to more than 60 genotypes with a wide spectrum of clinical severity from asymptomatic to lethal. Estimation based on gene frequencies and number of babies born each year, there will be about 1.2% babies born with severe cases of thalassemia each year. Further estimation revealed that 1.0% of the Thai population have thalassemia disease, which is a big health problem for the country. Thalassemia prevention and control programs were introduced using post conception screening in couples and prenatal diagnosis (PND) for the prevention of new thalassemic births. Moreover, the majority of existing cases are undergoing supportive treatment with regular blood transfusions and iron chelation. Curative treatment by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is available but is limited to a minority of the patients.