Almost 12% of Cypriots are carriers of beta- thalassaemia while there are 700 people with this disease, a press release by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics says, on the occasion of the 8th of May, the International Thalassaemia Day.
The press release notes that although thalassaemia is one of the rare diseases in Europe, it is relatively common in Cyprus, where about 12% of Cypriots are carriers of β- thalassaemia and there are about 700 people with this disease.
It adds that prevention and medical care are provided by four thalassaemia clinics located in different cities in Cyprus and adds that this scientific program for addressing the disease is very successful and world known. As a result, Cyprus participates in the European network ERN-EuroBloodNet.
One of the network’s first goals was the development of a pan-European epidemiological platform for rare anaemia, called RADeep.
The Department of Molecular Genetic Thalassaemia of the Institute of Neurology and Genetics is responsible for the development and technical support of the platform’s software (www.eurobloodnet.eu/radeep).
