India is home to 1 of every 8 people with the trait for thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder when the body doesn’t make enough of the protein hemoglobin, hurting red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. While mild forms might not need treatment, other cases could require frequent blood transfusions to help increase blood cells to manage anemia and resulting fatigue. The Rotary Club of Calcutta Metro City is promoting awareness and treatment of the disease with its thalassemia-free India initiative. In February the club coordinated an educational event attended by 50 young women and mothers in Sonarpur, West Bengal. The gathering was one of dozens of such events since 2022, reports club member Subhojit Roy. Besides its focus on encouraging screening and delivering its message to young adults and rural residents, the club lobbied thousands of provincial legislators and members of the Indian Parliament to promote testing and government funding of treatment, he says.