On the occasion of World Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Awareness Day on 19th June, numerous events were organized across the country to create awareness regarding the disease and halt transmission of Sickle Cell Disease.
Since the inception of the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) last year, a total of 3,39,77,877 screening records have been uploaded on the portal, as on date, and states have distributed a total of 1,12,01,612 Sickle Cell Status ID cards.
On Sickle Cell Day, 44,751 events were organized across the country in 17 high burden states and 343 districts under the NSCAEM. As a part of the activities undertaken during these events, 6,15,806 individuals were screened for sickle cell disease and 2,59,193 Sickle Cell ID cards were distributed to the screened beneficiaries.
Reiterating the Union Government’s commitment to eliminate Sickle Cell Disease, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi highlighted that the government is “working on aspects like creating awareness, universal screening, early detection, and proper care”. He stated that the government is also leveraging the power of technology in this area.
Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda reiterated that the government is guided by the mantra of "Hope Through Progress: Advancing Global Sickle Cell Care & Treatment" to combat Sickle Cell Disease. He underlined that the government’s efforts “focus on promoting early diagnosis, ensuring access to treatment, and enhancing the quality of care for those affected.”
Awareness activities which started yesterday will continue for the next 15 days (19th June to 3rd July) at all facilities in 343 districts in 17 identified SCD states. The target for the next 15 days is to screen 10,00,000 individuals and distribute 3,00,000 Sickle Cell Status ID cards to screened individuals.
Awareness camps organized by Subdivision Hospital, Maharajganj, Siwan in Bihar to empower communities against Sickle Cell Disease.
The district-level events will include counseling maximum number of patients and conducting mass awareness activities. Along with this, intensified efforts towards management will be made by providing quality treatment and follow-up.
Supporting the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in its various awareness-generation activities is one of the key objectives of these events.
The following are the state events organized to fulfill the aforementioned objectives:
Madhya Pradesh: The Vice President of India along with Governor, Chief Minister, and Dy. CM of Madhya Pradesh graced the inaugural event in district Dindori which registered 11,000 participants.
Chhattisgarh: The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh inaugurated the event at Bhimrao Ambedkar Govt. Medical College in Raipur district along with the Health Minister and Tribal Minister of the state.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister inaugurated the World Sickle Cell Awareness Day Event in Raipur
Karnataka: Health Minister Karnataka inaugurated the World Sickle Cell Day events in the Mysore district.
Jharkhand: Health Minister Jharkhand inaugurated the World Sickle Cell Day events in the Ranchi district.
Screening Camp for Sickle Cell Anaemia Organized in Jharkhand
In other States, various ministers and other dignitaries also attended the events.
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day Event Organized in Gujarat
Health Camp for Sickle Cell Anemia Screening organized in Uttarakhand
Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Campaign Organized among NREGS Workers in Tribal Area of Tirupathi District, Tamil Nadu
Background
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder characterized by abnormal red blood cells that take on a crescent or sickle shape. These irregularly shaped cells can cause blockages in blood vessels, leading to various health complications. Affecting millions of people in the world, the disease disproportionately affects the tribal populations in India.
To tackle the pressing issue of SCD in the country, the National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) was launched on 1st July 2023 at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The mission’s objective is to provide affordable, accessible, and quality care to all SCD patients reduce the prevalence of SCD, and eliminate Sickle Cell Anaemia by 2047. The NSCAEM has identified 17 states with higher prevalence of SCD viz., Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Uttarakhand.
The mission focuses on screening and managing individuals aged 0-40 yrs. Striving to minimize the impact of the SCD on the affected and their families, the mission provides complete support and active collaboration with a Whole of Government and Whole of Society Approach. To eliminate the disease, the strategic interventions include universal screening & early detection, Awareness generation & pre-marital counseling, and holistic management of affected individuals at the primary, secondary, and tertiary care levels.
Screening efforts by the states are regularly monitored. A dashboard and sickle cell disease portal have been launched for compiling the screened data by all states (https://sickle.nhm.gov.in/). Besides traditional methods of screening, point-of-care tests have been approved and validated by ICMR and are being used by the states. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission has released the guidelines and training materials on: Operational Guideline for Prevention & Management of Sickle Cell Disease (https://sickle.nhm.gov.in/uploads/english/OperationalGuidelines.pdf), and training modules for primary care of Community Health Officers (CHOs), Medical Officers, Multi-Purpose Workers (M/F)/ASHAs and Staff Nurses (https://sickle.nhm.gov.in/home/guidelines).