Sourav Ganguly with a thalassaemia patient and singer Samrat Chanda (centre), also afflicted with the disease, who presented his second music album, Sabaar Mone Samrat, to the cricketer at his residence at Behala. A Telegraph picture

Sudipto Chatterjee was on top of the world when his daughter Tanya was born a year ago. But today, he has lost his smile and peace of mind. With his wife Namita, he stands guard while ailing Tanya goes through a blood transfusion once every month in a city blood blank.

“I wish my daughter had died before she was diagnosed with thalassaemia. I can’t see her suffering like this. And I can do nothing to save her,” said Chatterjee, wiping his tears.

A recent study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that more than 20 million Indians are carriers of thalassaemia and around 7,000 children are affected in eastern India.

In an attempt to spread awareness about the incurable genetic disorder, a group of school students, along with their parents, have stepped in to launch a programme to disseminate knowledge about the disease and its preventive measures in their school and neighbourhood.

The programme, Each One Reach One, is initiated by the students of Aryan School, in Belghoria, on the northern fringes of the city. And with help of the doctors, the students are organising check-up camps, where genetic maps are being prepared and examined to ascertain whether a person is a carrier of thalassaemia or not.

“We have initiated this programme for our students and their parents to determine whether anyone is affected or is a carrier of thalassaemia,” said Saumitra Mullick, school principal.

Amit Roychowdhury, one of the doctors in the programme, explained: “According to WHO, one out of every 15 persons here is a carrier of thalassaemia. It is a genetic disorder and incurable. So, with the awareness programme launched by the students of Aryan School, we are trying to spread knowledge about the preventive measures.”

Of late, the students have organised counselling sessions for the residents in Belghoria.

The programme has received an overwhelming response, with the students and their parents participating without much hesitation.

“I had heard about the disease. When my 13-year-old son Zeeshan went through the check-up, I came to know a lot about the disease. I will try to spread the word in my family and neighbourhood. Prevention is better than cure,” smiled a satisfied Mohammed Irfan.