Redesigning Thalassemia Prevention Program in Northwestern Province, Sri Lanka: A Regional Experience

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes significant public health challenges in Sri Lanka, contrib-uting to a substantial burden on healthcare systems and impacting the lives of the affected individuals and their families. Kurunegala has the highest burden of thalassemia compared with other regions of the country. Despite its prevalence and impact, thalassemia has historically received limited attention in public health policy. This ar-ticle aims to shed light on the reworked thalassemia prevention program in the northwestern province (NWP) of Sri Lanka, a hands-on experience with a specific focus on screening initiatives targeting school children in grade 10 and above, as well as youth populations. The prevention programs outlined in this article encompass a spec-trum of interventions, including advocacy, partnership, community empowerment, health system strengthening, carrier detection by screening, and counselling. Additionally, this article explores the establishment of a com-prehensive data surveillance system to track and monitor thalassemia screening programs within the province. Screening programs commenced in 15 schools in six Medical Officers of Health areas in Kurunegala District, testing 4030 students for thalassemia. Results revealed that 10.9 % (n= 438) of the sample exhibited iron deficiency anemia, while 3.8% (n=40) were identified as carriers of β-thalassemia, E, D, and H thalassaemia.