PM Modi To Launch National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission Tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission on July 1.

The Mission aims to address the pressing health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among the tribal population.

The launch will mark a crucial milestone in the Government's ongoing efforts to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.
The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2023.

This will be implemented in 278 districts of 17 high focused states in the country namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.

So, what is Sickle Cell anaemia?

Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells. The most serious type is called sickle cell anaemia.

According to NHS, People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels.

Sickle cell disease is a serious and lifelong health condition, although treatment can help manage many of the symptoms.

Symptoms of sickle cell disease

People born with sickle cell disease tend to have problems from early childhood, although some children have few symptoms and lead normal lives most of the time.

The main symptoms of sickle cell disease are:

• Children suffering from sickle cell anemia witness many diseases from birth
• There is pain in the bones and muscles
• Spleen of children increases in size
• There may be swelling in the body
• Frequent infections
• Vision problems
• Frequent blood transfusions may be required

Causes of sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease is caused by a gene that affects how red blood cells develop.

If both parents have the gene, there's a 1 in 4 chance of each child they have being born with sickle cell disease.

The child's parents often will not have sickle cell disease themselves and they're only carriers of the sickle cell trait.

What is the condition of sickle cell anaemia in India?

According to statistics data 3 per cent of India's tribal population suffered from sickle cell anaemia, and the other 23 per cent were carriers, that is, their genes can spread the disease.

India witnessed a rapid increase in anaemia after 1970, despite taking precautions.

How will the goal of eradicating anemia be accomplished?

The government has announced various initiatives to eradicate anemia. In 2018, the Modi government came out with the strategy of Anaemia Mukt Bharat. This included Poshan Abhiyaan, treatment of anemia using testing and digital methods and point of care, provision of fortified foods, and awareness raising through government-funded public health programs.