Delhi-based group aims to make IT industry Thalassemia-aware

“In March, the FBA India will launch a campaign to create awareness about Thalassemia in the IT industry. Our plan is to go from company to company and create awareness about the blood disease. The project is being initiated in a 100-people organisation in Mumbai,” said Gaurav Kwatra of the FBA.

FBA consists of a large number of IIT alumni and they held awareness campaigns during the annual festivals at Mumbai and Delhi IITs last year.

According to the members of the foundation, as about 4 crore Indians who carry the thalassemia trait are not directly affected, they are unaware of their carrier status. However, if two such persons get married, there is a 25 per cent chance that their children will have the thalassemia major disease.

The over 10,000 patients born with Thalassemia major in India every year need blood transfusions every 3-8 weeks, and most of them are diagnosed between 6 to 24 months of their birth, they said.

“They contacted our CEO, an IIT Delhi alumnus, in late December and we decided to go ahead with this test camp and awareness drive. When we took a count after circulating a mail and putting up posters, we got 60 per cent response,” said Murali Krishna M, business consultant, Fractal. “If they want to take this forward, we are eager to help in terms of logistics and data analysis,” he added.

Project Thalassemia, launched by FBA and Thalassemia India, is trying to ensure Thalassemia-free industries in the country. In the pilot project at Fractal, 90 per cent of the employees successfully passed the Thalassemia awareness test, 90 per cent of unmarried employees were tested for the Thalassemia trait and Thalassemia education incorporated in the orientation of new employees.