60 mn people screened for sickle cell disease, says health ministry

A total of six crore individuals have been screened for sickle cell disease (SCD) against the targeted seven crore under the National Sickle Cell Mission, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

Among those screened, 2.15 lakh individuals were diagnosed with the disease and 16.7 lakh carriers identified. Additionally, 2.6 crore health cards have been distributed by the respective states to the screened individuals, the ministry said.

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 from the states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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 the screening data from all participating states, the ministry said.

Future priorities encompass intensifying screening efforts to meet the target and ensuring follow-up and counselling services for individuals diagnosed as diseased or carriers.

The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 1, 2023 at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. The mission aims to eliminate sickle cell anaemia in the country by 2047 through the creation of awareness, universal screening of seven crore individuals aged 0-40 years in affected tribal areas by FY 2025-26 and a provision of counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.