Asserting that the union government has resolved to eradicate ‘Sickle Cell Disease’ from the country, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that when India completes 100 years of its independence in 2047, the country would also be free from sickle cell disease.

Addressing a function on the occasion of ‘World Sickle Cell Elimination Day’ at tribal dominated Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh, the Vice-President pointed out that by including the treatment of sickle cell disease in Ayushman Card, the government has proved its resolve to eliminate this disease.

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Mr Dhankar said the tribal society has a huge contribution in India’s economy and the tribal communities are the country’s identity. He said that, ”There are many special provisions for tribal communities in our Constitution, and in the last ten years, the government has left no stone unturned in implementing them.”

The Vice-President stressed on the need of clearing the misconceptions and propaganda related to this disease. He said that ”it is our collective responsibility to build a future in which this disease has no place”.

Vice-President’s wife Sudesh Dhankar, MP Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and ministers of state government were also present in this programme.

On 1 July 2023, PM Narendra Modi had launched the ‘National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission’ from Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.

The Mission targets screening approximately seven crore people in the age group of 0-40 over a period of three years, spanning from the fiscal year 2023-24 to 2025-26.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic single gene disorder causing a debilitating systemic syndrome characterised by chronic anemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction and chronic organ damage and by a significant reduction in life expectancy. In addition to inhibiting a person’s natural growth, it causes acute chest syndrome, high fever, and periodic swelling in different parts of the body. It is a hereditary genetic disorder that can be passed on from an infected parent to children.

In India, it is mainly reported among the tribal population of central and southern India.

In addition, 27 of the 45 districts of Madhya Pradesh fall into the sickle cell zone, and the pervasiveness of sickle hemoglobin (HbS) fluctuates between 10 per cent and 33 per cent.

Some tribal districts of the state namely Dindori, Alirajpur, Anuppur, Shahdol and Chhindwara constitute around 75 per cent of the existing cases of sickle cell anaemia, according to a government report of 2020–2021.