Current Affairs

UPSC SICKLE CELL DISEASE - English

Sickle cell disease

• Context: Recently, the government announced in the budget the Centre’s plan to launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047
• The health ministry will now screen all tribals in the country below 40 years and give them identity cards based on their sickle cell anaemia status (Unmukt Project of the central government )
• The colour-coded cards can be matched before marriage to understand the risk of sickle cell disease in the child born from the union
• Prevalence: There are approximately 200 districts in the country where the disease is prevalent, mostly in Maharashtra. Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha.

• About Sickle cell disease: 
• Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects haemoglobin — responsible for carrying oxygen in the body– in red blood cells.
• It is inherited when a child receives two genes—one from each parent—that code for abnormal haemoglobin
• It is prevalent among the tribal population in India
• It can lead to problems such as Anaemia, debilitating acute and chronic pain, infection, acute chest syndrome, stroke, and renal failure are among the problems it can lead to.
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• Initiatives by Tribal Ministry:
• Tribal Affairs Ministry established the National Council on Sickle Cell Disease and Tribal Health Cell
• The Tribal Affairs Ministry,  through the development of the Sickle Cell Support Corner, has instituted a mechanism for creating a Central Repository of data.

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