CCMB’s sickle cell anaemia toolkit rolls out in tribal heartland of Jharkhand

CCMB director Vinay Kumar Nandicoori and Tata Steel Foundation CEO Sourav Roy at a press meet in Hyderabad on Friday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has announced the extension of its novel molecular test based screening for Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA) to Jharkhand in association with Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) and existing State’s National Health Mission (NHM) on Friday.

The pilot project is being taken up in three districts of East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts where about two lakh people from among the vulnerable tribal groups will be screened over a period of two years making use of the existing public health network.

CCMB director Vinay Kumar Nandicoori, JC Bose Fellow & senior scientist G.R. Chandak, TSF CEO Sourav Roy, Head of Public Health Anuj Bhatnagar, told a press conference, that the collaboration will enable early detection of the SCA, raise awareness about the disease and contribute towards its elimination.

SCA is a genetic disorder due to a mutation which alters the structure of the red blood cells making them sickle shaped leading to chronic anaemia and other issues. If both parents have a recessive gene, they can pass it on to their offspring with one in four cases getting affected. This can be prevented by counselling before marriage or pre-natal testing and later early screening, medical intervention and treatment.

Mr.Chandak said CCMB will train the field assistants, ASHA workers and others. It will also establish a SCA testing hub, help in counselling carriers, and take up pre-natal diagnosis for couples for disease prevention onto future generations.

SCA prevalence was also found to be high among the tribal population of Kothagudem, Bhadrachalam, in Telangana and other regions during preliminary testing. “We are exploring the possibility of offering our expertise to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh too through the State Health Missions,” said the scientist.

Mr. Vinay Kumar explained the institute’s role in SCA screening, development of the indigenous molecular Dried Blood Spot test, repurposing cancer drug ‘hydroxyurea’ and research on other drugs. He also talked about ‘Crispr’ gene editing technology currently being tested across the world including India which could provide a radical breakthrough for curing SCA, but it is still years away.

Mr.Roy and Mr.Bhatnagar spoke about importance of the pact with CCMB to the tribal population and logistics involved. The project would be gradually scaled up.