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ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): A handover ceremony for medical consumables provided under TIKA’s “Medical Support for Thalassemia Patients Project” was held at Frontier Foundation.
The event was attended by Saliha Tuna, TIKA Islamabad Program Coordinator; Sahibzada Haleem, Chairman of Frontier Foundation; Dr Basit Saleem, Regional Director General Health Services; Saeedullah, Special Secretary Health of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; as well as prominent local philanthropists, said a press here on Sunday.
Thalassemia remains a major public health concern in Pakistan, where the carrier rate stands at 5–7%, amounting to over 10 million carriers nationwide. Each year, approximately 5,000 new cases are diagnosed, and an estimated 50,000–100,000 patients depend on lifelong blood transfusions. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the prevalence is particularly high among children, making safe and uninterrupted transfusion services crucial for survival.
Frontier Foundation currently provides free hematology services to more than 4,000 registered patients across the province and supplies safe blood products to public and private hospitals. The medical items provided by TIKA—such as blood bags, transfusion sets, cannulas, screening kits and hematology reagents—are expected to enhance both patient safety and the Foundation’s operational capacity.
Speaking at the ceremony, Special Secretary Health Saeedullah thanked the Republic of Türkiye and TIKA for their contribution, noting that bilateral cooperation between Türkiye and Pakistan continues to produce “meaningful and human-centered outcomes” in the health sector.
TIKA Country Coordinator Saliha Tuna highlighted the Foundation’s long-standing partnership with TIKA and its crucial role in combating thalassemia, hemophilia and other blood disorders in the region. “Thalassemia is not only a clinical condition but also a social challenge that requires preventive health policies and continuous support. We are pleased to contribute to this meaningful mission.” she said.