Govt to provide sickle cell anaemia cards to tribals below 40

NEW DELHI: Tribals aged below 40 will be provided cards mentioning their sickle cell anaemia status and given pre-marital counselling about the risk of their child getting the disease if they marry another affected person, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday.

The government will take up the eradication of sickle cell anaemia in a mission mode and conduct massive screening in affected tribal areas for early detection of cases, Mandaviya said after the presentation of the Union Budget.

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic condition, is widespread among the tribal population in India and in other vulnerable populations, Mandaviya said.

"Going forward, the government will also issue cards after screening to tribal persons below 40 years affected by the disease mentioning their sickle cell anaemia status and also provide pre-marital counselling to make the patients aware of the detrimental effects of the disease if they marry another sickle cell anaemia patient and give birth," he said.

The screening is aimed at reducing the prevalence of the disease.

The Union health ministry in collaboration with the tribal ministry and states has prepared a roadmap to screen around 7 crore people under the age of 40 in 200 districts with the most affected people.

The screening will be done using the rapid "point of care" histological test for which a person will just have to give blood.

Another major highlight of the Budget on the health front, Mandaviya said, is that 157 new nursing colleges will be established in co-location with the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget for 2023-24 in Lok Sabha earlier on Wednesday, said a mission will be launched to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047.

"A mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 will be launched. It will entail awareness creation, universal screening of seven crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments," Sitharaman said, presenting the Budget in Lok Sabha.