India aims to eradicate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Wednesday during her Budget 2023 speech. Under the new scheme, 70 million people up to the age of 40 years in affected tribal areas will be screened for the disease. The government will also work to raise awareness about the disorder and provide counselling.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an genetic blood disorder which contorts a patient's red blood cells into a sickle shape, affecting their haemoglobin. India is home to more than 20 million patients and has the highest prevalence of the disease in South Asia, a 2021 research paper reported.
Announcing this year's Budget's health schemes, Sitharaman said, "A mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 will be launched. It will entail awareness creation, universal screening of 7 crore people in the age group of 0 to 40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments."
This was the first health-related scheme announced by the finance minister during her speech today. The ministry bumped its health budget allocation to Rs 88,956 crores, a Rs 2,350 crore hike of 2.71 percent from Rs 86,606 crores in FY23.
Speaking on health, FM Sitharaman also announced that the government would also establish 157 new nursing colleges and make Indian Council of Medical Research labs and facilities available to public and private medical college faculty.
These new goal are umbrellaed under the government's first of seven Budget priorities or "saptarishis" — providing inclusive development to all Indian citizens.
The administration will adopt a "multifaceted" approach to tackle the prevalence of the disease in 17 selected states, News18 had reported in November 2022.
What is sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells contort into a sickle shape.
Red blood cells usually live for about 120 days before they need to be replaced. However, sickle cells typically die in 10 to 20 days, leaving a shortage of red blood cells also known as anaemia. Without enough red blood cells, the body cannot get sufficient oxygen leading to fatigue.
Common symptoms of the disease include: anaemia, swelling in hands and feet, episodes of pain, eyesight problems, delay in growth or puberty and frequent infections. These can, however, change over time.
What is sickle cell anaemia? In #Budget2023, the government has announced its mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047? @ekta_batra has all the details pic.twitter.com/a72ldCpavl
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Symptoms can be tended to by vaccinations, antibiotics, pain killers and periodic blood transfusion.
Sickle cell disease is a lifelong health condition and there is virtually no cure for it at the moment. According to the UK's National Health Service, patients can get stem cell or bone marrow transplants but that is rare due to the significant risks involved.
How prevalent is sickle cell disease?
A study published in 2021 reported that SCD is the most common severe monogenic disorder in the world and is highly prevalent in India, sub-Saharan Africa, parts of the Mediterranean and in the Middle East.
According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), one in every 86 births among Scheduled Tribes have this "widespread" genetic condition.
A National Family Health Survey conducted between 2019 and 2021 also found that the disease disproportionately affects women who are at high risk of anaemia due to blood loss during menstruation and pregnancy.
First Published: Feb 1, 2023 11:48 AM IST
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