What is thalassemia?

Thalassemia, a rare form of anemia, is a genetic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough hemoglobin alpha or beta proteins. (San Diego Blood Bank, n.d.). 

What is transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT)?

Red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen throughout the body, requiring the patient to receive lifelong blood transfusions (San Diego Blood Bank, n.d.). 

How often does TDT patients need to receive transfusion?

Thalassemia affects 4.4 out of every 10,000 live births (Smith Y, n.d.). A more serious form of this disease requires a patient to have regular transfusions every three weeks. 

How much is the cost to treat and maintain TDT patients?

There is no exact data because healthcare cost varies from country to country.  

According to the findings of this 2017 study for patients in the United States, it is USD 128,062 ± 62,260 per year, compared with USD 5,438 ± 11,855 in controls, "Patients with TD β-thalassemia had significantly higher healthcare resource utilization, medication costs, and total costs compared with matched controls, and required frequent visits to their healthcare provider, which poses a burden to their quality of life and work productivity."

Some estimates in other territories are: 

(still collecting data)

Why is the MHC app necessary?

According to a report by Thalassemia International Federation (TIF) more than 60% of patients in low- and middle- income countries report recurring interruptions or postponements in their regular blood transfusions more than 15 times a year. See more of the report here.