Capacity building of stem cell transplantation facilities inPakistan: joint efforts of NIBD government and private-sectorinstitutions

摘要

Pakistan belongs to the low- or middle-income countries, is divided into 4 provinces,and has a population of 208 million people. Only 5% of the annual national budget isreserved for health care facilities. The average income is US$1,000 per year. Of thehematologic diseases that affect our population, β thalassemia major (BTM) andacquired aplastic anemia (AA) are the most prevalent followed by acute leukemia. Anestimated 5000 to 9000 children are born each year with BTM, although no registry isavailable in Pakistan to document the numbers. The only curative treatment for thesedisorders is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).