Sea in the blood

In Cyprus, folk history tales tell of children dying from anaemia. Village elders know that significant numbers of children have died and continue to die of a disease of the blood, called thalassemia. The video explains the incidence and treatment of thalassemia in villages of the Mediterranean. A doctor in the British Army, Colin Bate, gives accounts of the disease in Cyprus villages and specific cases are discussed. Techniques for the antenatal diagnosis of thalassemia are explained and the idea of genetic engineering is explored.