India Rolls Out Nationwide Sickle Cell Disease Screening for Trib...

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Health jointly launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, targeting the screening of 70 million individuals from tribal communities across 17 states where sickle cell disease prevalence is highest. Mobile screening camps equipped with point-of-care HPLC testing devices will visit every tribal village in the targeted states over three years. Individuals identified as carriers will receive genetic counselling, and those diagnosed with sickle cell disease will be enrolled in the Ayushman Bharat scheme with specialised care pathways including hydroxyurea therapy and regular blood transfusion access. The mission has partnered with CRISPR gene therapy researchers at Christian Medical College Vellore to create a referral pathway for severe cases to the ongoing clinical trial. PM Modi addressed tribal communities at the launch, calling sickle cell elimination a matter of social justice.