On World Thalassemia Day, the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan announced that more than 5,000 individuals suffering from this disease have been registered in the country to date.

Officials from the ministry stated that providing care to thalassemia patients is among their top healthcare priorities and that efforts to improve services in this area are ongoing.

Abdulwali Haqqani, deputy minister for healthcare services, said: “These are not just our patients—there are 5,372 registered families who strive every day to secure a future for their children and the blood they need.”

The Director of Curative Medicine at the Ministry also said that last year 13,000 individuals donated blood for thalassemia patients.

Wahdat Alokozai emphasized that to better support these patients, the culture of blood donation must be promoted more actively across society.
He said: “Last year, 13,000 cc of blood was donated to these patients.”

Meanwhile, several thalassemia patients have called on the public and the international community for support in their treatment.
Mohammad, one of the patients, said: “We call on the international community and our fellow citizens to pay attention to thalassemia patients and kindly donate blood for us.”

Another patient said: “We ask the international community, charitable foundations, and prominent cricket figures—such as Rashid Khan and Nabi Esa Khel—to help establish treatment centers for thalassemia patients. These patients have endured immense suffering.”

According to data from the Ministry of Public Health, around 300,000 children are born with thalassemia each year worldwide.