Henry Dunant's Birth Anniversary

 

Henri Dunant, born on 8 May 1828, in Geneva, Switzerland, was a Swiss humanitarian, founder of the Red Cross (now Red Cross and Red Crescent) and the World Alliance of Young Men’s Christian Associations. He was cowinner (with Frédéric Passy) of the first Nobel Prize for Peace in 1901.

An eyewitness of the Battle of Solferino (24 June 1859), which resulted in nearly 40,000 casualties, Dunant organized emergency aid services for the Austrian and French wounded. In Un Souvenir de Solférino (1862; A Memory of Solferino), he proposed the formation in all countries of voluntary relief societies for the prevention and alleviation of suffering in war and peacetime, without distinction of race or creed; he also proposed an international agreement covering the war wounded. In 1863 he founded the International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded (now International Committee of the Red Cross), and the following year the first national societies and the first Geneva Convention came into being.

Having gone bankrupt because he neglected his business affairs, Dunant left Geneva in 1867 and spent most of the rest of his life in poverty and obscurity. He continued to promote interest in the treatment of prisoners of war, the abolition of slavery, international arbitration, disarmament, and the establishment of a Jewish homeland. After he was “rediscovered” by a journalist in Heiden, Switzerland, in 1895, Dunant received many honours and annuities.

 

 

World Thalassaemia Day

 

World Thalassaemia Day is observed on May 8 to spread awareness about thalassaemia being a blood disorder, myths related to the disease, and to help the patients lead a normal life. The day also deals with the social stigma attached to the lives of individuals who are suffering from or living with this disease. The efforts of doctors and medical professionals are also honoured on this day for helping patients and bringing advancements.

The day is observed to encourage those who struggle to live with the disease. This day is a commemoration day in honour of all patients suffering from thalassemia and their parents who have never lost hope for life, despite the burden of their disease and also to all scientists who are doing hard work with dedication and trying to provide improved quality of life to people with thalassemia across the globe.

What is Thalassemia Disease?

It is an inherited blood disorder that passes from parents to children. There are several types of thalassaemia disease and its treatment depends on its types and severity. In this disease, the ability of the body to produce haemoglobin and red blood cells gets affected. Or we can say that a person suffering from thalassemia disease will have a few red blood cells and very little haemoglobin. Its impact may range from mild to severe and even life-threatening. This disease is most common in people of Mediterranean, South Asian and African ancestry.

So, this day is dedicated to the patients suffering from thalassemia disease and provides them with a special chance to live like a normal person, as well as to prevent the spread of the disease in society, state, community, country, etc.