Event raises students' awareness of little-known disease

Most people who hear the word thalassaemia may recognise it as Greek in origin. But they may not realise it is a deadly kind of hereditary anaemia.

Sufferers need five injections a week for the rest of their lives. The only cure is umbilical blood transfusion.

Even more alarmingly, it is estimated that almost one in 10 people in Hong Kong are carriers of the disease.

A group of secondary students have pledged to help raise public awareness of the little-known condition.

Fifteen fourth and sixth formers from the Christian Alliance Cheng Wing Gee College have joined the first Student Ambassador Programme organised by the City University.

With the help of The Children's thalassaemia Foundation, they launched a Thalassaemia Week at school to promote understanding of the condition and clear up misconceptions among their schoolmates. The highlight of the week was a drama written, directed and acted by the students themselves.

Tong Lee, 17, played the part of a pregnant mother with thalassaemia who unknowingly passes on the illness to her child.