Over 1 cr people screened for sickle cell disease

NEW DELHI: More than one crore people have been screened for sickle cell disease under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July last year, an official said on Tuesday.

The programme aims to eliminate sickle cell disease, particularly among the country’s tribal population in 17 high prevalence states, by 2047.

The focus is on 278 districts of 17 states with higher prevalence of the disease — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Uttarakhand.

The mission entails screening of seven crore population for sickle cell disease in the age group of zero to 40 years, premarital and preconception genetic counselling for its prevention and holistic care for those with the disease across public health facilities in

three years.