India Achieves Major Milestone with 6 Crore Screenings under National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.
National
On 22 July 2025, India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) announced that 6 crore individuals had been screened for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, bringing the country closer to its 7 crore screening target before 2026.
- Of the 6 crore people screened, approximately 2.15 lakh individuals were diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease, and 16.7 lakh individuals were identified as carriers of the sickle cell trait—highlighting both the disease burden and genetic predisposition in the population.
- States such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand exceeded their screening targets. Overall, 2.6 crore health cards have been issued to screened individuals, integrating them into the continuum of care under the mission.
- Screening is carried out using validated Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) kits, ensuring rapid, reliable, and confirmatory results. The mission also employs a centralized data dashboard and a national SCD disease portal for real-time tracking and monitoring.
Main Point :- (i) The mission was inaugurated on 1 July 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, targeting universal screening of 0–40-year-olds in high-prevalence and tribal districts. Its goal is to eliminate SCD as a public health problem by 2047, aligning with India’s Amrit Kaal vision.
(ii) Moving forward, the mission emphasizes intensifying residual screening efforts, especially in underperforming areas. It also seeks to strengthen diagnosis-linked counseling and care services, ensure treatment access, and reduce morbidity through preventive strategies in identified populations.
Minister : Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda
Headquarters: New Delhi
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