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Jehaad For Zero Thalassemia

Thalassemia is a blood related disease inherited down the families in which patient’s body produces abnormal form of hemoglobin. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells and makes the patient anemic. As a result, they need external blood to be injected into their bodies in order to stay alive. The disease is diagnosed in the earlier ages of 3 months and children start a painful journey towards an abnormal lifestyle where they need blood every 10-15 days.  Many of them die before they reach the age of ten. This is a very dangerous disease that is only caused when two thalassemia minors get married. Thalassemia has two types, minor and major. Thalassemia minors has no disease in their blood. It is just the trait in their blood. They live healthy life and can never know about this trait until they get their blood tested. If a thalassemia minor marries a normal persons, nothing bad will happen. However, if two thalassemia majors get married, the born baby is thalamic.

With a vision of making a thalassemia free Pakistan, Ghulam Dastgir, a common student of university of central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan gathered a team of friends and started a mission named as Jihad for zero thalassemia. that group of student realized that thalassemia can be eliminated if it is made compulsory by law all the people should get their blood tested before their marriage and should not marry a thalassemia minor if they are too having the same trait in their blood. They devised a plan to educate the people around them and aware them about this disease. They shook hands with Fatimid foundation Pakistan, an organization committed to provide free treatment and blood to the thalassemic kids.

After a lot of paper work, JZT started in University of central Punjab in 2010 with the following motives.

•   Spreading awareness about Thalassemia and making people get their blood tested
•   Helping the already thalassemic kids financially as well as by providing blood donors
•   Reaching up to national level so that it becomes a law in Pakistan to get the blood tested before marriage

By the end of year 2011, JZT succeeded in their mission by declaring their university a thalassemia free university in Lahore. They organized seminars, awareness walks, sessions, arranged blood camps to provide blood, formulated blood donor society for thalassemic, and provided free blood test by setting up the laboratory setup with help of Fatimid foundation.

Every member who joins them promises them that he will educate at least ten persons about this cause and in this way they achieved their goal by introducing the chapters of JZT in all the districts and cities of Punjab including some cities of Sindh as well. Almost all renowned organizations of Punjab, colleges, brands and many celebrities have joined hand with JZT.

They conduct their events for fund raising and awareness and bring a light of hope to those who rarely smile and are waiting for any angel to come for help. You can also join JZT and help this cause to grow.