Thalassemia patients call for standardised tests to reduce transfusion-transmitted infections
Following the discussion, held at India International Centre in Delhi on Thursday (July 17, 2025), the group said they would be submitting their recommendations to stakeholders including state and central governments.
A 23-year-old Thalassemia patient from Kolkata, present during the discussion, shared her experience of contracting dengue and then testing positive for HIV, to which lack of blood screening could have contributed.
She said, 'From the age of two, I have been taking blood transfusions. As a Thalassemia patient, I would require it every 21 days. When I was in Class 8, I contracted dengue and then tested positive with HIV. I don't know for sure if I got it during the blood transfusion or not, but the testing has an important role to play.'
At present, Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT), a highly sensitive molecular technique used to screen blood donations for infectious diseases, is used in some hospitals. While it is treated as a gold standard, it is not mandatory across the country.
Tuhin A. Sinha, a BJP spokesperson present during the discussion vowed to the group that he would help them take the dialogue forward. Speaking about the importance of NAT testing, he said, 'The Delhi government hospitals have been quick to ensure that it is in place. But one of the important steps should be to develop advocacy for implementing it across the country.'
He also suggested incentivising blood donations, saying, 'The more people join the ecosystem, either by way of espousing the idea of donating blood, it will lead to the institutionalisation of systems where checks and balances can be implemented more aggressively.'
The discussion was moderated by Anubha Taneja Mukherjee, Member Secretary of TPAG, which is a network of over 10,000 thalassemia patients in the country. She said, 'Based on today's discussion, we will send recommendations to stakeholders including the government, and government agencies.'
The recommendations included standardised blood transfusion practises and a mandate for NAT, a national-level blood donation campaign involving influencers, mandatory thalassemia screening for pregnant women. She added that in an attempt to reduce dependence on blood transfusion, hospitals should also make available, novel therapies such as gene therapy.
During the discussion, P.C. Sen, a Supreme Court advocate, spoke about the legal and ethical responsibilities of the state and institutions to ensure pathogen-free blood as a constitutional right. Meanwhile, Professor N.K. Ganguly, former Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) suggested an approach that would also involve patients of other blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Orissa HC seeks govt reply on delay in expanding NAT-PCR blood testing across state
CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has sought a detailed response from the state government after a contempt petition was filed by advocate Prabir Kumar Das over its alleged failure to implement nucleic acid testing polymerase chain reaction (NAT-PCR) blood testing facilities in all blood banks as promised. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman on Thursday directed the commissioner-cum-secretary of the Health and Family Welfare department to file an affidavit within two weeks, outlining the steps taken to fulfil the commitment made in court in November 2023. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 4. The directive comes in response to a contempt petition filed by Das on April 2, 2025. In his plea, Das contended that the state government had wilfully violated the high court's order dated November 30, 2023, which required the establishment of advanced NAT-PCR testing facilities in all 56 blood collection centres of the state by the end of March 2025. The court order had followed Das' earlier PIL that highlighted the risks associated with blood transfusions using traditional ELISA-based screening. He had argued that the NAT-PCR technology allows for early detection of infections such as HIV 1 and 2, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, thus ensuring safer transfusions. In its affidavit filed in response to the PIL in November 2023, the Health department had stated that 47 per cent of the blood collected in Odisha was being tested using NAT-PCR technology at 11 centres. The government had assured the court that it would expand the facility to all 56 blood centres at an estimated cost of `200 crore by March 2025. However, Das, appearing in person, submitted that information obtained through RTI queries from the directorate of Blood Safety (March 3, 2025) and the Health department (March 17, 2025) confirmed that only the original 11 centres were equipped with NAT-PCR, and no progress had been made in the remaining 45 centres. Calling the inaction a 'deliberate and wilful violation' of the court's order, Das urged the bench to initiate proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act against the commissioner-cum-secretary. The court, while not initiating contempt proceedings, has directed the official to respond with a status update in two weeks.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
File affidavit detailing NAT-PCR rollout in blood collection centres: HC to govt
1 2 Cuttack: Orissa High Court on Thursday directed the state's health and family welfare department to file an affidavit within two weeks detailing the steps taken to implement Nucleic Acid Testing Polymerase Chain Reaction (NAT-PCR) blood testing facilities in all govt-run blood collection centres. The directive came after a petition was filed by advocate Prabir Kumar Das. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman passed the order while hearing the petition, which sought contempt proceedings against the commissioner-cum-secretary of the health and family welfare department for allegedly failing to comply with the court's earlier directive issued on Nov 30, 2023. The court had, at the time, disposed a PIL filed by Das calling for the introduction of advanced NAT-PCR testing in all blood banks, citing that the method allows for earlier detection of HIV 1 & 2, and Hepatitis B and C, compared to the traditional ELISA test. In its 2023 affidavit, the state govt had informed the court that 47% of the state's blood collections were already being tested via NAT-PCR at 11 centres and that it had decided, in principle, to extend the facility to the remaining 45 centres by March 2025 at a cost of Rs 200 crore. However, in his contempt plea filed on April 2 this year, Das submitted that information obtained via RTI from the directorate of blood Safety (on March 3) and the health department (on March 17) revealed that no progress had been made, and NAT-PCR testing remained limited to the same 11 centres. "The govt made a commitment before this court and failed to act on it. This amounts to a deliberate and wilful violation of the court's order," Das said before the bench, appearing in person. Taking note of the submissions, the bench asked the commissioner-cum-secretary to clarify what actions had been initiated since the court's directive and fixed the next hearing for Aug 4. In his original PIL, Das had highlighted the risks of transfusing infected blood due to the limitations of ELISA testing. He urged the court to ensure the implementation of NAT-PCR testing across all centres in a time-bound manner to ensure safer blood transfusion practices.
India.com
7 hours ago
- India.com
A New HIV Shield: One Shot Every Six Months – Could This Be The Turning Point The World's Been Waiting For?
New Delhi: A new drug that could change the way the world prevents HIV has just received the green signal from the World Health Organization (WHO). Its name is Lenacapavir. And what makes it different? You only need it twice a year. The announcement came from Kigali, Rwanda, where global health experts gathered for the 13th International AIDS Society Conference on July 14. WHO shared new global guidelines to strengthen HIV prevention, and with it, officially recommended Lenacapavir as a key tool – especially for those who face high risk every day. They include sex workers, healthcare workers and people in close contact with HIV-positive individuals. This long-acting drug is not entirely new. The United States approved it earlier. Back in 2022, it was already being used to treat HIV-affected patients. Now, WHO's decision brings it into focus as a prevention method, specifically for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, 'We still do not have a vaccine for HIV. But this drug, taken only twice a year, is the best new option we have got.' Globally, the HIV burden remains heavy. In 2024 alone, 1.3 million people were infected. Lenacapavir is being hailed as a potential game-changer for global HIV prevention, particularly among communities like sex workers, transgender individuals, people in correctional facilities, men who have sex with men and those who inject drugs, all of whom have been disproportionately affected. Funding for HIV prevention is drying up in many regions. That is why this drug, which works longer and requires fewer doses, feels like a breakthrough. Lenacapavir is a product of U.S. biopharma giant Gilead Sciences. It belongs to a class of medicines called capsid inhibitors, which disrupt multiple steps in the HIV life cycle and help block the virus from replicating. What sets it apart is its long-acting nature. Just two injections a year are enough to offer sustained protection, a significant improvement over daily pills or monthly regimens that are harder to maintain. Compared to daily pills or monthly shots, Lenacapavir offers a simple solution – two injections a year. For those facing daily exposure to risk, this could be the protection they have been waiting for. The need for such interventions has never been more urgent. Over 1.3 million people contracted HIV in 2024 alone, according to WHO data. A large share of these infections occurred in low- and middle-income countries, where preventive care is either unavailable or underfunded. As funding for HIV prevention declines globally, a low-maintenance, highly effective drug like Lenacapavir could help reverse troubling trends. Public health experts say its biannual dosage makes adherence easier, especially for people with limited access to clinics or stigmatised by their communities. While the drug is yet to be rolled out widely, WHO has urged governments and NGOs to accelerate access through partnerships with local health systems. With global focus now shifting toward long-term, low-cost solutions, Lenacapavir offers a ray of hope in a decades-long battle against HIV.
