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Ministry of Tribal Affairs organizes a series of workshops on sickle cell disease among tribals as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

About Sickle Cell Disease:

• Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic condition, is widespread among the tribal population in India where about 1 in 86 births among STs have SCD.
• It affects haemoglobin (responsible for carrying oxygen in the body) in red blood cells, which can result in morbidity and mortality via distinct pathways.
• Therefore, an early detection and treatment of SDC is of utmost importance for improved health conditions as a nation.
• It is common in the tribal population with a 10% tendency of tribals to carry the gene that triggers sickle cell conditions.

Measures taken up by the Government:

• The Ministry attempted to bring together reputed institutes, renewed hematologists, medical practitioners and staff, teachers and students of Eklavya schools.
• Various state governments initiated screening programmes and realised the need to create a database and elimination plans for the disease.
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has launched the Sickle Cell Disease Support Corner to bridge the gap between patients and health care services in tribal areas.
• The Portal provides a web-based patient powered registration system which will collate all information related to SCD among tribal people in India, including proving them a platform to register themselves if they have the disease or the trait.
• The support corner envisioned as a one stop portal with information around SCD in Tribal Regions of India.