Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a National Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission on 1 July 2023, which aims to screen over seven crore young tribals so that the debilitating disease can be detected early and managed with therapies Could
Benefits of sickle cell anemia eradication mission
The Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission will focus on creating awareness and universal screening among people in the age group of 0-40 years in tribal areas of 278 districts in 17 states. The government plans to eliminate this disease by 2047. This mission will save the lives of 2.5 lakh children and families affected by the disease. The Madhya Pradesh government has set up Integrated Centers for Hemophilia and Hemoglobinopathies in 22 tribal districts for the treatment and diagnosis of patients.
Since more than 50 percent of global sickle cell anemia cases are in India, the disease is a cause of public health concern in central Indian states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat. Other states joining the mission are Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Uttarakhand.
The mission comes two years after a pilot project was launched for screening in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts and later expanded to another 89 tribal blocks. In this, 9,93,114 individuals were screened, out of which 18,866 were found to have sickle cell syndrome and 1506 had the disease.
What is the mission of eradicating sickle cell anemia?
The National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2023. It aims to address the serious health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, especially among the tribal population.
What is sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disease that affects the entire life of the affected patient. It is more common in the tribal population of India, but also occurs in non-tribals. It not only causes anemia but also pain crisis, stunted growth and affects multiple organs like lungs, heart, kidneys, eyes, bones and brain. India has the highest density of tribal population globally. According to the 2011 census, the tribal population in India is 8.6%, which is 67.8 million in Indian states. The Ministry of Health under NHM initiated work on Hemoglobinopathies (Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease) in 2016, issued comprehensive guidelines on prevention and management of Hemoglobinopathies and provision of funds for screening and management of sickle cell disease.