Lok Sabha Question No. 1152 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Sickle Cell Disease among Tribals
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Pradyut Bordoloi, Jagdambika Pal

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH ANDFAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1152 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 th FEBRUARY 2024

## SICKLE CELLDISEASE AMONG TRIBALS

## 1152. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI: SHRI JAGDAMBIKAPAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state;

- (a) whether the cases of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) have been reported among tribal community and if so, the details thereof, gender-wise and State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has launched the screening of the tribals for this disease;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the progress made therein along with the timeline fixed for completing the screening;
- (d) the initiatives and awareness programmes undertaken/proposed to be undertaken by the Government to educate tribal communities regarding the said disease particularly in remote areas; and
- (e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to prevent/dispel negative notion among tribal people over blood screening with respect to sickle cell disease?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE

## (PROF. S. P. SINGH BAGHEL)

(a) to (e): Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disease which affects the whole life of patient. It is more common in the tribal population of India, but occurs in non-tribals too. It not only causes anaemia but also pain crisis, reduced growth and affects many organs like lungs, heart, kidney, eyes, bones and the brain.

To eliminate sickle cell disease by year 2047, Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission has been launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister from Madhya Pradesh on 1st July, 2023. The objectives of the Mission are provision of affordable, accessible and quality care to all Sickle Cell Diseased patients, reduction in the prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease through awareness creation, targeted screening of 7 crore people till year 2025-26 in the age group of 0-40 years in affected 278 districts of tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and State Governments. Till 31.01.2024, a total of 1,54,23,518 population in the 17 identified States have been screened.

Details of Sickle cell disease cases reported in tribal areas of the country, gender-wise and State/UT-wise, as on 31.01.2024, is attached at Annexure.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a National Sickle cell portal i.e. https://sickle.nhm.gov.in where achievement of screening can be accessed.

Through Ministry of Tribal Affairs, awareness and counselling material have been developed. IEC and media activities are adopted for propagation of awareness of disease, screening and management. State Governments have to play an important role in implementation of mission activities.

Annexure Details of Sickle Cell disease cases reported in tribal areas of the country, gender-wise and State/UT-wise:

| Sl. No.   | States/UTs     | No. of Sickle Cell Disease cases reported in   | No. of Sickle Cell Disease cases reported in   | No. of Sickle Cell Disease cases reported in   | Total cases   |
|-----------|----------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| Sl. No.   | States/UTs     | Males                                          | Females                                        | Transgenders                                   | Total cases   |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh | 610                                            | 718                                            | 0                                              | 1328          |
| 2         | Assam          | 10                                             | 60                                             | 0                                              | 70            |
| 3         | Bihar          | 1                                              | 0                                              | 0                                              | 1             |
| 4         | Chhattisgarh   | 8492                                           | 9712                                           | 3                                              | 18207         |
| 5         | Gujarat        | 1086                                           | 1588                                           | 1                                              | 2675          |
| 6         | Jharkhand      | 12                                             | 20                                             | 0                                              | 32            |
| 7         | Karnataka      | 32                                             | 42                                             | 0                                              | 74            |
| 8         | Kerala         | 15                                             | 17                                             | 0                                              | 32            |
| 9         | Madhya Pradesh | 4460                                           | 6697                                           | 0                                              | 11157         |
| 10        | Maharashtra    | 6318                                           | 8842                                           | 3                                              | 15163         |
| 11        | Odisha         | 16312                                          | 32782                                          | 1                                              | 49095         |
| 12        | Rajasthan      | 113                                            | 123                                            | 0                                              | 236           |
| 13        | Tamil Nadu     | 42                                             | 189                                            | 0                                              | 231           |
| 14        | Uttar Pradesh  | 1                                              | 0                                              | 0                                              | 1             |
| 15        | Uttarakhand    | 15                                             | 12                                             | 0                                              | 27            |
| 16        | West Bengal    | 1212                                           | 2319                                           | 1                                              | 3532          |
| 17        | Telangana      | 59                                             | 101                                            | 0                                              | 160           |
|           | Total          | 38790                                          | 63222                                          | 9                                              | 102021        |