Health authorities have highlighted the importance of a simple blood test that can help reduce the risk of children being born with serious genetic blood disorders.
Haematology Specialist Dr. Chathurma Piyarathna stated that conditions such as thalassaemia, along with marriages between close relatives, can increase the likelihood of inherited blood disorders in newborns.
According to Dr. Piyarathna, when both parents are carriers of thalassaemia, there is a 25 percent chance that a child could be born with major thalassaemia and a 50 percent chance that the child could become a carrier of the condition.
She emphasized that early identification through a simple blood screening test allows individuals and families to make informed decisions before childbirth and helps reduce the number of severe cases.
Dr. Piyarathna further revealed that approximately 3 percent of Sri Lanka’s population are estimated to be carriers of thalassaemia.
Health experts continue to encourage greater awareness, premarital screening, and early testing to strengthen prevention efforts and reduce the burden of inherited blood disorders in the country.
