National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission

Sickle Cell Disease is a disease that impacts tribal sections of societies significantly. The government is committed to eliminate the disease before India celebrates it’s Amrit Kaal in 2047.

The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Program, introduced in the Union Budget 2023, focuses on addressing the significant health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among tribal populations of the country. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic single gene disorder causing a debilitating systemic syndrome characterized by chronic anemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction and chronic organ damage and by a significant reduction in life expectancy.

Mission

To improve care of all Sickle Cell Disease patients for their better future and to lower the prevalence of the disease through multi-faced coordinated approach towards screening and awareness strategies

Vision

Eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem in India before 2047 there is need for increasing the awareness about the disease in the community, implementation of mass screening activities for early identification, building a strong network of diagnosis and linkages, implementing robust monitoring system, strengthening the existing primary health care mechanism to incorporate SCD related strategies, capacity building of primary, secondary and tertiary health care teams and building cost-effective intensive interventions at higher care facilities.

Strategy

The strategy emphasizes on THREE pillars:

• Health promotion- Awareness generation & pre-marital genetic counselling
• Prevention: Universal screening and early detection
• Holistic Management & continuum of care
  • Management of persons with sickle cell disease at primary, secondary and tertiary health care levels; treatment facilities at tertiary health care facilities
  • Patient support system
  • Community adoption

Beneficiaries

The program shall be carried out in a mission mode covering the entire population from zero to 18 years of age and shall incrementally include the entire population up to 40 years as a part of National Health Mission and shall focus on universal population-based screening, prevention, and management of sickle cell anemia in all tribal and other high prevalent areas States/UTs of India. While in its initial stage, the mission would prioritize its intervention in high prevalence and tribal states/UT, the plan would subsequently expand to include all states/UTs in a phase-wise manner with an incremental approach. The mission aims to cover 7 crore people with screening, counselling for prevention and care for people with SCD in three and half years.

Focus states

Implemented in 17 high-focus states across the country, this program aims to improve the care and prospects of all sickle cell disease patients while reducing the prevalence of the disease. The 17 states are- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.

The program is executed in a mission mode as part of the National Health Mission (NHM), aims to eliminate sickle cell genetic transmission by the year 2047, showing a long-term commitment to eradicating the disease.

Over a period of three years, spanning from the fiscal year 2023-24 to 2025-26, the program targets screening approximately 7.0 crore people. This ambitious goal highlights the program's dedication to reaching a large portion of the population, promoting early diagnosis and intervention.

To view the complete Mission guidelines, click here.

Source : National Health Mission