Omair Sana Foundation: Tackling Thalassemia in Pakistan

Omair Sana Foundation (OSF) started off as a diversified NGO, operating in the three verticals.  Blood Diseases , Medical Relief  and General Welfare.

In Thalassaemic sphere their mission is to make free treatment available to Thalassemic patients who cannot afford it on their own.   Provide Thalassemic patients with Educational and Social rehabilitation to make them productive and confident members of the society

Dr. Saqib Ansari - Omair Sana Foundation

They help Thalassemics not just EXIST but rather LIVE and lead a healthy life.  While in emergency and general relief we serve the humanity in their medical and social concerns.

Their area of work is medical relief, advocacy, rehabilitation, reconstruction & education in the time of any natural or man-made calamity.  They believe in the collective and collaborative approach for accomplishment of goals that seem hard to achieve   The name of Omair Sana Foundation as the name suggests was derived from Omair & Sana, the two children of Dr. Kashif Hussain Ansari , himself an Oncologist, Hematologist serving in America. Both were suffering from a genetically oriented blood disease. Even after a strong and vigilant health management and having all required resources he couldn’t make their survival possible.

Omair & Sana died in the age of 5&3 respectively. After recovery from the trauma of his children’s demise, Dr. Ansari, Thought that even having all resources in a modern, technically equipped and developed United States, the chance of survival for those who have blood disorders is limited.

What would be happening in a third world country like Pakistan where more than 40% people are living below poverty line, average income level is 2$, medical institution are ill equipped, access to the proper facility center is difficult expensive.

This mishap and insight provoked him to do something for those who deserve back in the motherland, Pakistan.

Alpha Thalassemia - Severe Genetical Blood Disorder

Alpha-Thalassemia

The α-Thalassemia involves the genes HBA1 and HBA2, inherited in a Mendelian recessive fashion. Two gene loci and so four alleles exist. It is also connected to the deletion of the 16p chromosome. α Thalassemia result in decreased alpha-globin pro

duction, therefore fewer alpha-globin chains are produced, resulting in an excess of β chains in adults and excess γ chains in newborns. The excess β chains form unstable tetramers (called hemoglobin H or HbH of 4 beta chains), which have abnormal oxygen dissociation curves.

What Is Thalassemia ?!

Thalassemia, also called Mediterranean anemia, is a form of inherited autosomal recessive blood disorder characterized by abnormal formation of hemoglobin. The abnormal hemoglobin formed results in improper oxygen transport and destruction of red blood cells. Thalassemia is caused by variant or missing genes that affect how the body makes hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. People with Thalassemia make less hemoglobin and have fewer circulating red blood cells than normal, which results in mild to severe microcytic anemia.