A single blood test in a lifetime is all that is necessary to identify thalassaemia traits. Photo: AFP
The red blood cells, which transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, contain a protein called haemoglobin (Hb) that consists of two alpha globin chain and two beta globin chains.
The thalassaemias result from an underproduction of one or two of the globin chains.
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