Experts Call for Free Prenatal Testing to Reduce Thalassemia Cases in KP
Health experts have urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department to strengthen prenatal and pre-marriage screening programs and provide free testing facilities to help reduce the rising number of thalassemia cases.
Despite the existence of preventive legislation introduced in 2009, officials say implementation remains limited due to high testing costs and insufficient diagnostic facilities across the province.
Currently, advanced screening such as the HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) test is available only at select centers in major cities, making access difficult for many couples in rural areas.
Experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of couples require screening each year, which places a significant financial burden on families if advanced testing is made mandatory for all.
Medical specialists have recommended a more practical and cost-effective approach, suggesting that the Complete Blood Count (CBC) test be used as the initial screening method. Only individuals with abnormal results would then be referred for further testing.
Health professionals believe this two-step approach could improve accessibility, reduce costs, and encourage more people to undergo screening before marriage.
Experts have also stressed the importance of making prenatal diagnostic procedures more widely available and affordable, as many families currently travel long distances and pay high costs for such tests.
According to health data, thousands of thalassemia patients are already registered in the province, with new cases reported regularly, highlighting gaps in early prevention efforts.
Doctors and public health specialists have called on authorities to adopt a more accessible screening strategy to reduce the long-term medical and financial impact of the disease on families and the healthcare system.
