Wasl, the asset management group owned by Dubai Real Estate Corporation (DREC), said it is strategically supporting the UAE Genetic Diseases Association's (UAE GDA) drive against Thalassemia through highly informative awareness sessions on the genetic disorder.

This support endorses the national health campaign - 'Emirates Free of Thalassemia 2012' - and is the first project of the UAE Genetic Diseases Association (UAEGDA) established under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and launched by Dr Maryam Matar, executive director of the UAEGDA.

The awareness campaign that was rolled out in September came as part of wasl's corporate social responsibility and included an expert-led talk, benefitting more than 270 staff members.

In its current phase, UAEGDA is offering screening programmes for most common inherited blood disorders, including sickle cell and Beta – Thalassemia for wasl employees throughout the month of October.

Alya Al Mutawa, the general manager - Marketing and Corporate Communications, wasl, said: "The partnership with the UAE Genetic Diseases Association indicates our determined support in their initiative towards minimising the percentage of this genetic disorder that continues to affect several members of our society in the UAE.

"As a responsible employer, wasl places high emphasis on the overall well-being of its staff members.

"In striking this alliance with UAEGDA, we aim to spread awareness within our organisation and among community members. Effectively, we believe our proactive stance will greatly contribute to the betterment of our community."

Common genetic blood disorders prevalent in the community like Thalassemia are  characterised by defective productions of haemoglobin, leading to the over-destruction of red blood cells.

The clinical severity of Thalassemia varies greatly depending on the exact nature of the genes that a person inherits. The severe type of Thalassemia is terrible and a debilitating disorder to live with.

Dr Maryam Matar, executive director of UAE Genetic Diseases Association, said: "We are delighted that an organisation such as wasl has come forward to participate in our mission in line with the UAE federal government's vision to make the country free of Thalassemia disease by the year 2012.

"We welcome the support of wasl in raising awareness and reducing the impact of commonly inherited  blood disorders ensuring that our future generations are born healthy. We also thank the government and corporate groups for helping us meet our objectives."

The UAEGDA has been able to considerably reduce the impact of common genetic disorders prevalent in the country through its community outreach programmes, health education, counselling and free screening tests.

UAEGDA now has a free genetic clinic and a state-of-the-art screening facility supervised by internationally renowned experts. UAEGDA has been conducting free screening for students studying in various colleges and universities across the country.

With  the introduction of mobile units, screening has been extended to remote areas and to corporate groups.

As  an extension of wasl's support to UAEGDA's continuous initiatives, the asset management company has allocated a villa in Jumeirah to the UAE Genetic Disease Association for enabling it to continue its mission not only for the implementation of this campaign but also to help support its future initiatives. - TradeArabia News Service