New Delhi
Nearly 2.38 lakh individuals of the over 6.83 crore persons screened for sickle cell anaemia till February 3 this year in tribal-dominated areas across the country have been found to be infected with the disease.
Giving out the figures in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel on Tuesday also informed that more than 19.32 lakh individuals have been identified as carriers of the disease.
Under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM), screening among the targeted age group of 0-40 years is conducted at all health facilities in 17 affected tribal states for the diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease, Patel said in her reply, as per news agency PTI.
“As per Sickle Cell Disease portal, more than 6.83 crore screenings have been conducted in tribal dominated areas of the country including 60.83 lakh screenings in Odisha, as on February 3, 2026. A total of 2,37,981 individuals have been identified as diseased and 19,32,500 as carriers of Sickle Cell Disease,” the Minister said.
The Union Health Ministry has devised the cost norms for establishment of Centres of Excellence on Sickle Cell Disease funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and 17 such institutions in 15 States have been approved by MoTA, she stated.
India accounts for half the total number of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) globally. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic condition, is widespread among the tribal population in India where about 1 in 86 births among Scheduled Tribes (ST) have it. The disease is prevalent among the States like Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The Mission aims to cover 278 districts in 17 States wherein 7 crore persons, mostly Adivasis, in the age group of 0-40 years will be screened and provided with a colour coded card by 2025-26. Odisha has the highest number of sickle cell patients in India, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand too have significant numbers.
