Thalassemia
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What is thalassemia?
Thalassemia is the name given to a group of hereditary red blood cell disorders that affect hemoglobin production. Thalassemias are among the most common inherited disorders in the world: the affect more than 300,000 children worldwide, particularly in areas wheremalaria is common, including the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.[1][2]
Hereditary
Inherited by an offspring from their parent/s.
Weatherall, D.J. (2012). The definition and epidemiology of non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia. Blood Reviews 26 Suppl 1: S3–6.
Cao, A. & Kan, Y.W. (2013). The Prevention of Thalassemia. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine 3. Accessed from
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Causes and types
Hemoglobin is a very important component in red blood cells, as it carries oxygen around the body. Hemoglobin is comprised of four sub-units: two alpha-globin