The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has screened more than 73.1 million people over the past three years for sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that heavily affects indigenous communities in the country’s central and southern regions.
The initiative aims to take early diagnosis, genetic counselling, and specialised treatment to remote tribal pockets that carry a disproportionate burden of the genetic blood disorder. Sickle cell disease can cause severe anaemia, recurrent painful episodes, organ damage, stroke and other potentially life-threatening complications. These centres are intended to function as regional hubs for comprehensive clinical care, genetic counselling, advanced diagnostic confirmation, research and training of frontline healthcare workers. “On the treatment front, the ministry’s approach includes hydroxyurea, pain-management protocols, infection-prevention measures and blood transfusions for selected high-risk patients. The ministry is also working with the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and plans to partially fund research related to gene therapy for sickle cell disease.
7.02 million people were found to be SCD-negative while 2.06 million were identified with sickle cell trait and 251,191 with sickle cell disease, according to data compiled by the tribal affairs ministry. The ministry also provides financial support for 17 Sickle Cell Disease Centres of Competence across 15 states, with a total sanctioned amount of ₹ 52.50 crore. Five of the 17 centres have already been inaugurated.
“Confirmation was in process in another 5,31,177 cases,” an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Bone marrow transplantation remains a potential curative option for eligible patients, while gene-based therapies are being explored as a longer-term intervention,” said another official.
