Objective: Thalassaemia among the hemoglobinopathies is a heterogenous group of disorders which transmitted autosomal recessive fashion and result from a reduced or no sythesis of one or more globin chains. Thalassaemias seen with high prevalance in a zone starting from Mediterranean countries to Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. This study aimed to reveal prevalance of beta thalassemia carriers in Usak province and surrounding areas.

Material and Methods: The study was retrospectively conducted between 01.01.2011 and 31.12.2012, thalassemia test request totally 3324 participitant who appealed for premarital health screening to Usak Public Health Central Laboratory. 2 mL venous blood sample was taken into EDTA tubes from each participitant and worked on Tosoh Automated Glycohemoglobin Analyzer HLC-723G8(Japan) with its original kits and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.

Results: A total of 3324 participant, 1672 (%50,3) women and 1652 (%49,6) men were included in this study and HbA2 levels were found over 3,5% in 100 (3%) participant who called beta thalassemia carriers. A total of 100 carrier, 41 (% 41) was women and 59 (% 59) was men. Based on this information prevalance of thalassemia carriers was found %2,45 in women and % 3,57 in men.

Conclusion: Prevalance rate (3%) of our city appears to be a high value if compare with Turkey general thalassemia carrier prevalance rate of %2,1. When this value is reflected in the general population of Usak (2012, 342.269) the number of potential carriers in our province is expected to be 10.268. We think that β-thalassemia screening programme should be started as expanded not only premarital status, but also to cover other parts of society especially in reproductive age of population.