National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission
Recently the Prime Minister launched the ‘National Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission 2047’ (NSCEM) in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, and distributed sickle cell genetic status cards to the beneficiaries.
Objective of NSCEM
- NSCEM aims to address the serious health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, especially among the tribal population.
- The launch marks an important milestone in the ongoing efforts of the government to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.
- The National Mission to Eradicate Sickle Cell Anemia was announced in the Union Budget 2023.
- It may be noted that at present 17 states of the country are most affected by sickle cell anemia where this mission will be implemented. India accounts for more than 50 percent of sickle cell anemia cases in the world.
Objective of Mission:
- Eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem in India before 2047, to raise awareness about the disease in the community.
- Provide affordable and accessible care to all sickle cell patients, ensure quality of care for patients and
- Reducing the spread of sickle cell.
Sickle Cell Disease: SCD
- Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited disorders involving red blood cells.
- Healthy red blood cells are round and they circulate through small blood vessels carrying oxygen to all parts of the body.
- Normally, red blood cells are disc-shaped and flexible enough to flow easily through blood vessels. If you have sickle cell disease, your red blood cells are crescent-shaped or “sickle”.
- These cells don’t fold or move easily, and can block blood flow to the rest of your body. Due to this there is deficiency of blood in the body. This is called anemia or sickle cell anemia.
- Sickle cell disease is a lifelong disease. Blood and bone marrow transplants are currently the only treatments for sickle cell disease, although there are some effective treatments that can ease symptoms.
Source – PIB
