Subject - Thalassaemia Awareness

Posted : (Tuesday 18th March 2008 ) By - chris (Registered User)The Black Health Agency is working together with the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme in Manchester to raise awareness of Thalassaemia and of screening offered by the NHS.

We will be working with a number of groups in different areas of Manchester – and mainly with women from a Pakistani background living in the city and raising awareness about Thalassaemia and sickle Cell disorders.

We will be running outreach information sessions for a year – finding out what people in different communities know about inherited blood disorders, explaining the benefits of testing and the support offered to people living with the disorders.

One of the outcomes from our work will, hopefully, be that women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy will take up the options for screening earlier by (10 weeks) and seek further advice from health professionals. We also hope that greater awareness will persuade more prospective fathers to be tested.


We are writing to all GPs, community midwives, maternity units and hematology departments in the city to make health professionals aware of this work – and to seek your support and assistance – particularly if you experience a greater take-up of screening.

When we run outreach sessions we will be asking participants – if they choose to seek testing or further advice from health professionals.

If you have any question or ideas about how we could best promote awareness in communities please contact us at the address on the front of the flyer.

If you would like to make a referral to the project please contact Shabana Baig Project Manager.

Telephone: 0161 835 3393
Email: shabana@blackhealthagency.org.uk