JAMSHEDPUR NEWS :NHM, CSIR-CCMB and Tata Steel Foundation collaborate to address sickle cell Anaemia in Jharkhand
Ranchi/Jamshedpur: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between Tata Steel Foundation, the National Health Mission (NHM), Jharkhand, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad, for the implementation of a comprehensive sickle cell anaemia screening project in Jharkhand. The initiative is aimed at enabling large scale community-based screening and raising awareness to reduce the burden of sickle cell anaemia across the state.
The MoU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Shri Ajoy Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Planning, Government of Jharkhand, Shri Abu Imran, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Dr Giriraj Ratan Chandak, JC Bose Fellow, CSIR-CCMB, Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President (Corporate Services), Tata Steel, and Sourav Roy, Chief Executive Officer, Tata Steel Foundation, along with senior representatives from the Foundation, NHM, and CSIR-CCMB.
Under this collaboration a sickle cell testing hub will be established at the district hospital, Khasmahal, East Singhbhum with the infrastructure for large scale screening of those under 40 years, across the Kolhan region of Jharkhand comprising East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela- Kharsawan.
Speaking on the occasion, Chanakya Chaudhary said: “Tata Steel Foundation works on rare and neglected diseases in rural and remote corners of Eastern India. The engagement around sickle cell anaemia is a step towards bringing solutions on this subject to the rural and marginalised communities. We are happy to partner with the Government of Jharkhand, NHM and CSIR-CCMB, whose work is widely known, towards addressing this congenital issue. We look forward to path-breaking successes and garnering the trust of the communities in this domain.”
Tests will be conducted using ICMR approved Dried Blood Spot- Polymerase Chain Reaction (DBS- PCR) method which a low-cost, robust, rapid, and reliable molecular test developed indigenously by the Atal Tinkering lab at CSIR- CCMB, Hyderabad. Simultaneously, community-based sample collection shall be undertaken by ANMs, ASHA workers and Field assistants, MANSI+ functionaries of Tata Steel Foundation in the field through finger-puncture (Dried Blood Spot) method and samples will be transported to the Testing Hub. Identified cases of sickle cell carriers and diseased will be provided adequate awareness to prevent it from being passed onto future generations. People suffering from Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Crisis shall also be referred to appropriate government healthcare facilities for treatment.
The collaboration will amplify the efforts of the Foundation, as the scientific expertise of CSIR-CCMB will bolster research-driven strategies for disease management, while NHM Jharkhand will facilitate the integration of this screening project into the existing healthcare framework.
The programme aligns with the Government of India’s nationwide public health mission which was announced in 2023 to eliminate sickle cell anaemia (SCA) by 2047 by focusing on universal screening of approximately seven crore people in the 0 – 40 years age group in areas with high prevalence through consistent efforts in raising awareness. Jharkhand is one of the 17 states under the national mission, has a significant ethnic population and has a significant burden of SCA. Thus, this project will have a profound impact on the public health scenario of Jharkhand, by enabling early detection of sickle cell anaemia and raising awareness about the disease. This MoU represents a collective endeavour to bring quality healthcare within reach and to work towards the eventual elimination of Sickle Cell Anaemia in Jharkhand.
