Aswaaq has launched‘Thalassaemia Screening Campaign” in line with its social responsibility and as part of its various initiatives to support the UAE community.

The campaign, which started on January 4 and concludes on January 8 and organised in cooperation with UAE Genetic Diseases Association (UAE GDA), will cover all Aswaaq staff working in the head office and in Nad Al Hamar community centre, in addition to the centre's visitors from Nad Al Hamar and the neighbouring areas.

"As part of its social responsibility, Aswaaq is keen to offer all kinds of support to the UAE community. From this perspective comes the collaboration with the UAE Genetic Diseases Association which has launched its first project "Emirates Free of Thalassemia by the year 2012" with the aim of identifying the Beta-Thalassaemia and Sickle-cell carriers in the UAE pre-marital population in order to make the country free from the new births of children with Thalassaemia by the year 2012," said deputy CEO of Aswaaq Yousef Sharaf.

Executive director of the UAE GDA Dr Maryam Matar asserted that the association launches educative programmes and screening campaigns for early detection of inherited diseases and treating them with the aim of reducing genetic disorders in the UAE and maintaining a very healthy society.

It is worth mentioning that thalassemia is one of the most known diseases in the world. It is a type of the genetic anemia dubbed the "Mediterranean Anemia" or "Cooley's Anemia". – TradeArabia News Service