3.85 crore people screened for Sickle Cell Anaemia across 17 states: Union Health Minister
J. P. Nadda, responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha also said that hydroxyurea has been included in the National Health Mission Essential Drugs List
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has been actively promoting research in gene editing therapies for advanced treatment options for SCD, Mr. Nadda said. Representational image.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
A total of 3.85 crore people in 17 identified States have been screened for sickle cell anaemia as of July 31, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Madhya Pradesh on July 1, 2023.
The objectives of the mission include providing affordable, accessible and quality care to all patients with sickle cell disease(SCD), reducing the prevalence of the disease through awareness campaigns and targeting screening of 7 crore people aged 0-40 years in affected districts of tribal areas by 2025-26, Mr. Nadda said.
The Mission also aims to offer counselling through collaborative efforts of Central ministries and State governments, he said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a National Sickle Cell portal — https://sickle.nhm.gov.in — where details of screening can be accessed.
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Under NSCAEM, screenings are conducted at all health facilities, from district hospitals up to the Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) level, Mr. Nadda said responding to a question in the House. Patients with SCD are provided with various services and facilities to improve their quality of life through AAMs, the Minister said.
These services include regular follow-ups, counselling on lifestyle management, pre-marriage and pre-natal decisions, nutritional support through folic acid tablets, management of crisis symptoms and referrals to higher facilities, Mr. Nadda said. He highlighted the awareness and counselling material have been developed with the help of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
State governments have to play an important role in implementation of mission activities, Mr. Nadda said. The Minister also said that hydroxyurea has been included in the National Health Mission (NHM) Essential Drugs List at Sub-Health Centres, Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Urban PHC, Community Health Centres (CHC) and District Hospitals to address the issue of access to medicine.
Under NHM, financial support is provided for the procurement of hydroxyurea, to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure borne by SCD patients, he added.
Indigenous drug for sickle cell disease developed
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been actively promoting research in gene editing therapies for advanced treatment options for SCD through its programme under the Sickle Cell Mission which was undertaken at one of the constituent laboratories of CSIR, namely CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi from 2017-2023.
For early diagnosis, facilities for screening for persons aged 0-40 years, as well as counselling are available at all level of health facilities from district hospitals till AAMs, Mr. Nadda said.
The NHM supports the establishment of Integrated Centres for Hemoglobinopathies and Hemophilia (ICHH) in District Hospitals in co-ordination with state Health Departments, procurement of screening kits and SCD cards, he stated.
The MoHFW has devised the cost norms for the establishment of Centres of Excellence on SCD funded by the MoTA in various states. The ICMR-National Institute of Research In Tribal Health (NIRTH), Jabalpur has provided training to master trainers on diagnosis of SCD in States where SCD is prevalent, he added.
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