Thalassemia Awareness

Did you know that beta thalassemia major, the most severe form of thalassemia? By staying committed to long-term treatment, people with thalassemia can enjoy a full life.

Thalassemia is a group of blood disorders passed from parents to children through genes (inherited). A person who has thalassemia makes fewer healthy red blood cells. Their red blood cells do not produce enough hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. People with severe thalassemia can have various medical complications. They might also require lifelong blood transfusions for treatment.

Living with Thalassemia

Specialized care across the lifespan can help people who have thalassemia live as healthy as possible. Thalassemia is a treatable disorder that can be well-managed with blood transfusions and chelation therapy. A person with thalassemia will need to receive medical care on a regular basis from a hematologist (a medical specialist who treats diseases or disorders of the blood). If a doctor has prescribed either blood transfusions or chelation therapy, the most important thing a person with thalassemia can do is stick to their treatment schedules to prevent severe anemia (low numbers of red blood cells) and possible organ damage from iron overload.

Noor Altahafee

Personal Story

At age 5, Noor Altahafee started receiving red blood cell transfusions, a treatment for thalassemia, despite living in some extremely challenging environments. Thalassemia has had a big impact on her life. “Thalassemia – and the challenges that accompany it – have helped me become stronger and overcome many difficulties,” says Noor. Read more on how Noor’s family supported her ongoing thalassemia treatments while living in a war zone.

Read more about Noor’s story here.

CDC’s Work

CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities conducts the following activities:

Blood Safety Monitoring for People with Blood Disorders

CDC funds one project that monitors blood safety in people with blood disorders. This project is called “Characterizing the Complications Associated with Therapeutic Blood Transfusions for Hemoglobinopathies.” Georgia State University, the Joan & Samford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and the University of California at San Francisco have been awarded funding to look at transfusion-related complications in people with hemoglobin disorders (sickle cell disease and thalassemia) and develop approaches for reducing these complications. In addition, CDC funds the Association of Public Health Laboratories to provide public health technical assistance with screening (a test to look for a disease before it is noticeable) activities, including needs assessments for laboratories, as well as education for patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers on hemoglobinopathy screening programs.

Health Promotion

To better understand the challenges of keeping up with thalassemia treatment, CDC funds the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (CAF) to continue providing outreach to people who have thalassemia. CAF reaches out to people who have this disorder in order to connect them with information and services that will help with managing thalassemia. CAF also provides technical public health assistance on CDC’s Public Health Webinar Series on Blood Disorders.

More Information