A recent study conducted by a team led by Dr Rajan Pande, of Bheri Zonal Hosptial, found occurrence of sickle cell anemia in the Tharu community.
Kailali district chapter of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin), Tharu Kalyankari Sahba, Tharu Women Network Kailali and Tharu Civil Society jointly organized a press meet on Sunday at Dhangadhi, demanding thorough investigation into the disease found in the community. [break]
The study team had found all the family members of Anita Tharu , Pardeshi Chaudhary and Megharaj Chaudhary in Banke suffering from sickle cell anemia.
According to Dil Bahadur Chaudhary, the chair of Tharu Civil Society in Kailali, the report suggested that 20 to 30 percent of the Tharu population might be suffering from the disease.
“This disease has been found in the Tharu community. We want the government to take it seriously and investigate it thoroughly,” Dil Bahadur said.
According to the doctors, the disease is passed genetically so can pass from one to another in the community. Pain in the chest, stomach and joints, and jaundice are the symptoms of the disease.
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