Integrating Thalassemia Awareness into School Curriculums
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique led a meeting at the Higher Education Department on Friday.
The meeting brought together key officials, including Dr. Farrukh Naveed, Secretary of the Higher Education Department; Dr. Muhammad Waseem, Additional Secretary for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education; Dr. Yasmin Ehsan, Director General of the Thalassemia Prevention Programme; Professor Shabnam Bashir, Head of the Institute of Blood Transfusion Services; and the Additional Secretary of the School Education Department.
During the session, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique reviewed plans to include thalassemia awareness in the educational curriculum. Officials shared updates on the progress of these efforts.
The minister emphasized the vital importance of pre-marriage screening for thalassemia and announced that the Punjab government is expanding testing facilities across the province. He stressed the need to educate students about thalassemia at all levels, from primary to higher education.
“Our goal is to create awareness about thalassemia through the curriculum,” Rafique said. “While government initiatives are crucial, the active involvement of society is equally important to combat this condition effectively.”
