Prez confident India would eradicate sickle cell disease before targeted deadline

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed confidence that India would achieve its target of eliminating sickle cell disease by 2047, well ahead of the deadline, through collective efforts.

She stressed the need to raise awareness and eliminate the genetic blood disorder, particularly among tribal communities.

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The President was addressing a programme on World Sickle Cell Day in the pilgrimage town of Omkareshwar in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

Murmu said the country would achieve its national goal of eliminating the disease much ahead of schedule through the combined strength and active participation of all states.

“I am confident that with the collective strength and proactive efforts of all states, we will certainly succeed in achieving our national goal of eliminating sickle cell disease from the country well before 2047,” she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission from Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh on July 1, 2023. The mission aims to eliminate the hereditary disease from the country by 2047.

Murmu said various scientific studies had shown that the prevalence of sickle cell anaemia among tribal communities was several times higher than in the general population.

“I would like to urge all state governments and officials from this platform not to take this disease lightly, as it is passed from one generation to another. Efforts should be made to eradicate it completely, as treatment is possible and the disease can be eliminated. Such claims have emerged,” she said.

The President said the Centre had adopted a comprehensive approach to address the challenges posed by sickle cell disease and, for the first time, launched a joint campaign involving the Union Health Ministry and the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry.

She said the campaign had integrated tribal health, genetic science, digital monitoring and behavioural change initiatives.

Murmu stressed the need for large-scale awareness campaigns, pre-marital genetic counselling, extensive screening for early detection and continuity of healthcare to ensure comprehensive disease management.

She said the target of screening people for the detection of sickle cell disease under the national mission launched in 2023 had already been achieved ahead of schedule.

“I have been informed that the target of screening more than seven crore people, from newborns to individuals up to 40 years of age, has been achieved. This is no small accomplishment,” she said.

Murmu said more than 20 lakh carriers of the disease had also been identified.

Pointing to a lack of awareness about the disorder, she said many families had suffered from the disease for generations without even knowing its name.

The President noted that Madhya Pradesh and Odisha had reported a relatively higher number of affected persons among the 17 states where screening for the disease had been undertaken.

At the same time, she also praised the Madhya Pradesh government for its achievements under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.

World Sickle Cell Day is observed annually on June 19 to raise awareness about the disease, encourage timely screening and treatment, and improve the quality of life of affected individuals.

President Droupadi Murmu is currently on a five-day visit to Madhya Pradesh from 18 to 22 June.