CARRIERS SCREENING AND THE PROPOSED PREVENTION PROGRAM OF ?-THALASSEMIA: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GAZA STRIP

A pilot screening study for the detection of b-Thalassemia carriers was carried out in the Gaza Strip, the study aimed at the evaluation of the proposed national programs for the prevention of b-Thalassemia .Four thousands seven hundreds and fourty subjects covering Gaza Strip, and both sexes (2322 males & 2418 females), (including university and secondary school students, and individuals  presented to Ashifa hospital in Gaza for routine blood tests) were screened for b-Thalassemia  trait. Most subjects (4025) filled a questionnaire about the acceptability of the preventive measures of the proposed national program. The results showed that the over all prevalence of  b-Thalassemia trait was 5.9 %.. Results of the questionnaire showed that only 145 (3.6 %) of the questioned subjects had little information about Thalassemia. 3920 (97.4 %) of the questioned subjects agreed with the idea of premarital tests for inherited diseases, among them 3751 (93.2%) preferred these tests to be obligatory. 3679 (91.4 %) of the questioned subjects refused to answer questions related to prenatal diagnosis and abortion of scientifically proved affected foetus.

It was concluded that b-Thalassemia is a major health problem in the Gaza Strip which justifies the necessity for planning and establishing a nation wide strategy for systematic prevention and control of b-Thalassemia.