Bengaluru (India CSR): To make Thalassemia treatment accessible to underprivileged children, Himalaya Wellness Company, one of India’s leading wellness brands, has partnered with Sankalp India Foundation (SIF). As a part of Himalaya’s support to SIF, children suffering from Thalassemia will be identified through Sankalp’s Program for Thalassemia Cure and offered the permanent curative option, a bone marrow transplant, giving them a new lease on life.
Every year, over 10,000 children are born with Thalassemia. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder, and a bone marrow transplant is the only permanent cure. The cost of the treatment is extremely high in India, ranging up to INR 15,00,000, making it inaccessible for the poor.
K G Umesh, Director Human Resources, Himalaya Wellness Company, shares, “Care for Life, a part of our business philosophy, sits at the heart of Himalaya Wellness Company. Our business philosophy defines the way we think and inspires our actions. Through our commitment to address community health care challenges, we are happy to extend our support to SIF to make systematic care and management of thalassemia accessible. Through this partnership, we will make a positive difference in the lives of children and exemplify our vision to provide happiness by empowering and enabling communities to lead happier lives.”
Lalith Parmar, President, SIF, shares, “We are extremely grateful to Himalaya for this gesture. Sankalp’s Program for Thalassemia Cure identifies children who are suffering from thalassemia and offers them the permanent curative option. At the cost equivalent to 4-5 years of thalassemia management, we have offered a complete cure from the disease to over 400 children in the past five years. Further, our partnership with Himalaya will be a step forward in ensuring more patients get access to the treatment and helping realize our goal of a thalassemia-free India.”
Patients will undergo treatment at the at BMJH-Sankalp Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and BMT, Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, Bengaluru, which was inaugurated in September 2021.
In 1930, a young visionary by the name of Mr. M. Manal foresaw the benefits of herbal remedies while riding through the forests of Burma. After diligently researching the science of the traditional field of Ayurveda, he decided to dedicate his life creating products that would improve millions of lives across the world. Today, with a history spanning more than nine decades in herbal research, Himalaya has positioned itself as a brand that cares about not only enriching people’s lives but also safeguarding the environment. With their “head-to-heel” range of products, Himalaya aims to provide a holistic solution to everyday ailments.
Seeped in a legacy of researching Nature, Himalaya has successfully been able to harness the science of Ayurveda through cutting-edge research to become a brand that is safe, gentle, and trustworthy. For more information, please visit: himalayawellness.in
About Sankalp India Foundation:
SIF is a certified voluntary nonprofit organization focused on voluntary blood donation, disaster relief, and the prevention, management and cure of thalassemia since May 2003. So far, the organization has extended support to more than 2,000 children towards the care and management of thalassemia.
SIF has also invited experts knowledgeable about bone marrow transplants for thalassemia. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a treatment which costs between INR 20,000 – 30,000 per family is also offered free of cost. HLA typing is a genetic test to find out if a donor can safely donate bone marrow, cord blood, or an organ to the recipient. So far, it has been offered to over 4,000 families.
