ATABS (Awareness of Thalassemia disease Among Bangladeshi Students)
Thalassemia Awareness Campaign in Bangladesh
Aim of this Project: To Develop awareness of Thalassaemia disease among university students in Bangladesh and offer Premarital Screening
Working in partnership with BioTED and GenX Health
Background Thalassaemia is a potentially life-threatening yet preventable inherited haemoglobin disorder. Understanding local socio-cultural context and level of public awareness about thalassaemia is pivotal for selecting effective prevention strategies. In a previous study we assessed knowledge and perceptions about thalassaemia among college students in Bangladesh. That study has identified critical knowledge gaps and societal misperceptions about thalassaemia.
A better understanding of these aspects will be pivotal for disseminating thalassaemia related information and brining routine thalassemia screening into practice.
Rationale: Findings from a past study has generated baseline data that would contribute to developing effective intervention strategies in Bangladesh and other countries with a comparable socio-cultural setting. [Hossain, M.S., Hasan, M.M., Raheem, E. et al. Lack knowledge and misperceptions about thalassaemia among college students in Bangladesh: cross-sectional baseline study. Orphanet J Rare Dis 15, 54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-020-1323-y ]
The study among college students and university students are expected to be no different in terms of knowledge, attitude and practice. Therefore, it is imperative that we do awareness campaign across the universities of Bangladesh to encourage premarital screening which is the most effective strategy to prevent thalassemia.
What are we trying to achieve?
Who are our target population?
What are we trying to achieve?
- Developing awareness among young generation. We are aiming to Screen at least 2,000 or more students across the universities in Bangladesh in first phase.
- Provide dedicated counselling of identified Thalassemia career by qualified personnel.
Consolidated result will be published in a peer reviewed journal.
Who are our target population?
Target Universities: we will try to enrol similar number of students (average 100) from each university. So that, statistical comparison can be carried out. Students will also fill up a validated questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude and practice about thalassemia as part of the awareness campaign
1. Dhaka University
2. Jahangirnagar University
3. Jagannath University, Dhaka
4. Chittagong University
5. Rajshahi University
6. Khulna University
7.Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
8. Kushtia Islamic University
9. Mymensingh Agricultural University
10. Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Gazipur
11. Jessore University of Science & Technology
12. Barisal University, Barisal
13. Noakhali University of Science & Technology, Noakhali
14. Mawlana Bhashani University of Science & Technology, Tangail
15. Cumilla University
16. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology, Gopalganj
17. Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)
18. North South University, Dhaka
19. BRAC University, Dhaka
20. East West University, Dhaka