Survey to find out whether youths have sickle cell anaemia

A survey would be carried of all youths upto marriageable age from Adivasi community to find out whether they are suffering from sickle cell anaemia, a hereditary blood disorder to counsel them not to marry people suffering from the same disorder, Union Tribal Affairs department secretary Hrishikesh Panda said today.
"The Union Tribal Affairs department has taken up a new initiative for a 100 per cent survey to test all school going and school dropouts up to marriageable age youths from the Adivasi community," Panda said.
"It has been found that 50 per cent of the Adivasis are affected by malaria which has an association with sickle cell trait. Sickle Cell Anaemia has no particular treatment," Panda said.

"A small test costing Rs two to three per person with immediate results with the Centre bearing the cost will be performed. A card will be provided to any one testing positive and counselled to marry a non-Sickle Cell person to save the next generation," he said.
"Five to six lakh children will be surveyed in Assam and a similar number in the other six N-E states by the end of the year. We had a meeting here today with the participation of Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh to work out the protocol of the test," Panda said.

Stating the tests would be conducted through government agencies of ANM nurses, doctors, Asha and Angawadi workers, he said medical teams would be trained by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to be deployed in the districts.
Clarifying there was no stigma attached to those identified to have traits of the disease, Panda said, "they are not infectious, can lead a normal life, marry a normal person and have the disease-free children."
Stating over one crore children were targeted to be surveyed across the country, he said field exercises had already begun in Gujarat.