Sri Lanka has become a failed state in terms of prevention of Thalassemia, and it is revealed that three percent of Thalassemia patients are carriers of the disease, a consultant pediatrician at the Paediatrics Department of the Kelaniya University, Professor Sachith Mettananda, said.

Addressing the media, he said Sri Lanka is at the forefront among the countries where Thalassemia is prevalent.

Other countries in the world where Thalassemia is prevalent have been able to prevent the occurrence of the disease among their people, he said.

But Sri Lanka has not been able to achieve such a positive situation.

"About 2,000 children are diagnosed with Thalassemia annually in Sri Lanka. A marriage between Thalassemia carriers may produce children with Thalassemia symptoms," Prof. Mettananda said.

"Due to the myths about Thalassemia, most people are tempted during marriages to hide the fact that they have thalassemia," he said.

"The indifference by all the responsible people in Sri Lanka as well as the public regarding the prevention of this disease, 

Thalassemia, has been a major issue in establishing the status of Sri Lanka as a failed state," he said.

Nearly 2,000 Thalassemia patients have been identified from several districts in the country.

The majority of the patients are receiving treatment from the Kurunegala, Ragama and Anuradhapura Thalassemia Treatment Centers. "People with Thalassemia may need a blood transfusion about once a month. Blood transfusions are very safe, but they can cause a build-up of excess iron in the body. So you will need to take medicine to remove the excess iron," the professor said.

Therefore, everyone in the country should undergo a compulsory blood test to identify the status of Thalassemia before their marriage, he said.

"People should consider undergoing such a medical test as their personal responsibility," Professor Mettananda added.