India Budget 2023: Govt announces mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047

India will launchan ambitious nationwide mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, country's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the annual budget of world's fifth largest economy on February 1. Sickle cell anaemia, a genetic disease with high fatality ratethat alters the shape of blood cells bringing down their capacity to carry oxygen in the body, is a widespread genetic condition in Central India's areas with significant tribal population.

India's mission against sickle cell anaemia: What does it entail?

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told parliament in New Delhi that the mission will be a collaborative effort between federal government and individual state administrations.

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"It will entail awareness creation, universal screening of 7 crore (70 million) people in the age-group of 0 to 40 years in affected tribal areas and counseling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments," Sitharaman said.

According to India's Ministry of Tribal Affairs, about 1 in 86 children in tribal population are born with sickle Cell Anaemia condition.

Experts say that early detection and treatment of SDC is of "utmost importance for improved health conditions as a nation".

In Budget 2023, India's finance minister, among other initiatives for improving country's health infrastructure, announced that as many as 157 new nursing colleges will be established in the core locations of the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014.

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"Facilities of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) labs will be made available for private R&D (research and development) teams to encourage collaborative work," she added.

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