6 crore screened for Sickle Cell Disease; States Step Up Efforts
New Delhi: A total of 6 crore individuals have been screened for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) against the targeted 7 crore under the National Sickle Cell Mission.
Among those screened, 2.15 lakh individuals diagnosed with the disease and 16.7 lakh carriers have been identified. Additionally, 2.6 crore health cards have been distributed by the respective states to the screened individuals.
States including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand have demonstrated significant progress by achieving a high percentage of screening relative to their targets. The highest incidence of diagnosed cases has been reported in the states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
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Screening for SCD is being conducted using validated Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) kits, which ensure rapid, reliable, and confirmatory results. Furthermore, a dedicated dashboard and a sickle cell disease portal have been established to consolidate screening data from all participating states.
Future priorities encompass intensifying screening efforts to meet the remaining target and ensuring follow-up and counselling services for individuals diagnosed as diseased or carriers.
The National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission was inaugurated on 1st July 2023 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. The mission aims to eliminate sickle cell anemia in India by 2047 through the creation of awareness, universal screening of 7 crore individuals aged 0-40 years in affected tribal areas by FY 2025-26, and provision of counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that to support the eradication of Sickle cell anaemia, the government has significantly reduced the cost of testing kits to less than Rs 50. The initiative is part of the National Sickle Cell Elimination Programme, which aims to screen a population of seven crore across the country.
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