Yemen is considered one of the least developed countries where numerous epidemic and inherited diseases spread, mainly because of the shortage of medical services provided to citizens.

Youth, whether males or females do not make medical tests before marriage and this has something to do with the culture that associates such tests to slur. Further, most Yemeni youth of both sexes prefer to get married to their close relatives.

Such a situation has helped increase the number of retarded children or those bearing genetic diseases that could be prevented through medical tests before marriage or getting married to partners outside the family.

Thalassemia, an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease, is better known as blood disorder. It has been increasing day after day, while 90 percent of its victims do not know anything about the disease, its symptoms and risks.

Initial studies showed that four in 100 in Yemen, are likely to bear the genetic chromosome causing the disease, type Beta and another 8 percent are bearers of genetic chromosome Alpha, and they can pass it down to their children in case one of the parents or both where afflicted or bearers the disease.

Most parents kill their children by their own hands as they, out of unawareness, get married without making any medical tests to make sure the partner is free from any problems that could affect their offspring's later.

Likewise, majority of parents do not make any tests for their newborn children, especially males, before circumcising them.

Abdu Al-Siraji, from Amran province, stated to the Yemen Post that he does not know anything about the disease and his first male child died of constant bleeding after circumcising him.

This third child was also a male and, upon circumcising him, he bled and was rushed to the hospital; however, he died there, added Al-Siraji.

He also pointed out that he now has another male child who is 2-years-old, and he has not circumcised him yet, but his health is poor and he has to buy him monthly medicine costing nearly YR 40,000.

There are hundreds of similar stories and the number of victims is on the rise; however, Blood Bank of the Health and Population Ministry's speaks of 1,000 cases, including 600 described as critical.

There have been recent activities over the last period and timed with the World Day for thalassemia celebrated on May 8.

Victims complain of the shortage or lack of medicine as well as its high costs as most of them cannot afford to buy them. An injection could cost YR 220,000 and an infected child has to take it three times a month.

Head of the Yemeni Society for thalassemia and Genetic Blood Diseases noted that thalassemia is one type of genetic defect that results in reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin. It passes to a child when one of the parents bear the disease and it causes death of cells before they come out from spine.   

According to specialists, the disease risks stems from the fact that the human body is incapable of forming red-blood cells whose task is to carry oxygen and food to the different parts of the body. 

The diseases results from a dysfunction in Hemoglobin which causes red-blood cells to not ripe and to break after short periods. It causes death very often and in case a victim escapes death, he will have a high chance of becoming a retard according to studies.   

However, specialists see some positive indicators starting with the formation of the thalassemia society by the advent of this year, together with distribution of posters and brochures that warn against the disease and its risks.