Budget 2023: How dangerous is sickle cell anemia for which 7 crore people will be screened

during the budget speech Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Made several announcements for the health sector. Making the most important announcement among these, he said, “A target has been set to eliminate anemia by 2047.” After Polio and TB, now the government has set a target to eliminate sickle cell anemia by 2047. It is a disease related to blood. According to government statistics, this disease has increased rapidly in India after 1970.

The Finance Minister said, to eliminate sickle cell anemia from the root, 7 crore people in the age group of 0 to 40 years will be screened in tribal areas. He will be counselled. For this, the central ministry and the state government will work together.Know what is sickle cell anemia, how dangerous it is, how many patients are there in India and what the government is doing.

What is sickle cell anemia and how dangerous it is, understand in 5 points

1. What is disease: If you understand in simple language, sickle cell anemia is a disorder related to blood, which goes on from generation to generation. Mayo Clinic According to the report, this disease directly affects the red blood cells of the blood which work to carry oxygen throughout the body. Usually red blood cells are round, so they move easily in the body. But in case of disease its shape changes.
2. How much does the body change: In the case of sickle cell anemia, it starts to harden. Their condition starts changing. As a result, the blood flow slows down or stops in the body. Its symptoms start appearing in the patient at the age of 6 months. However, there can be a difference in its symptoms from one person to another. Due to the red blood cells being affected in the patient, the flow of oxygen deteriorates. When the flow of oxygen decreases in the whole body, the patient starts struggling with fatigue. Pain is felt in the body.
3. If the disease becomes serious…: When the disease becomes severe, the symptoms of stroke are seen in the patient. Paralysis can occur in one part of the body like face, arms and legs. There may be a problem in walking. The light of the eyes decreases rapidly and a condition of severe headache is created.
4. How to prevent in the next generation: Since this disease is transferred from the patient to its next generation. That’s why such patients are advised to talk to the doctor once while planning a child so that this disease can be prevented from reaching the next generation.
5. What is its treatment: Sickle cell anemia is diagnosed through a blood test. Its treatment is possible only with stem cells or bone marrow transplant, but efforts are made to reduce its effect through medicines.

Where are the most cases in the country?

Most cases of sickle cell anemia are reported in the tribal areas of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, one in every 86 children born in tribal areas suffers from sickle cell anaemia. Lok Sabha According to the government’s answer given in the tribal areas of the country, 1,13,83,664 people were screened in the states across the country by 2022 with the help of ICMR and Department of Biotechnology. Out of this, the report of 9,96,368 i.e. 8.75 percent people came positive.