Government to Screen 7 Crore Individuals for Sickle Cell Disease by 2026

The government is launching a significant screening program under the National Health Mission (NHM) to address sickle cell disease. The mission aims to screen 7 crore individuals under 40 years old across 17 states by 2025-26. This effort will primarily target tribal populations in states such as Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. The screening program involves universal screening, newborn screening, and antenatal screening.