Sickle cell screening meets only 1% of target
- March 12, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Sickle cell screening meets only 1% of target
Subject : Science and technology
Section: Health
Concept :
- Under the National Health Mission, Government of India supports the states for prevention and management of sickle cell disease as per their annual performance improvement plans proposals.
- The Union Health Ministry has also released technical operational guidelines for prevention and control of hemoglobinopathies in 2016 including sickle cell anaemia.
- Further in terms of treatment, support is given under NHM for capsule hydroxyurea, free blood transfusion for all Sickle cell patients (men & women) as per State’s proposal.
- In the union budget of FY 2023-24, it is announced to launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047.
- The mission entails focus on awareness creation, universal screening of approximately seven crore people in the 0-40 years age group in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.
- However, the Health Ministry has completed a minuscule 1% of its ambitious target to scan one crore people for sickle cell disease in 2022-23.
- The target set for 2022-23 was to screen one crore people. However, only 1,05,954 people have been screened so far, out of which 5,959 people (5.62%) were found to be carrying the traits.
Sickle cell disease:
- Sickle cell disease is a chronic genetic disorder in which the red blood cells of the patient turn into sickle-shaped crescents, become rigid and sticky, and get clogged in the blood vessels.
- It causes a debilitating systemic syndrome characterized by chronic anaemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction and chronic organ damage and by a significant reduction in life expectancy.
- For Further Notes on Sickle Cell Disease, refer – https://optimizeias.com/sickle-cell-disease-scd-2/