Over 6 Crore People Screened for Sickle Cell Anaemia Across India: Health Minister
New Delhi: More than six crore people across India have been screened for sickle cell anaemia, with over 2.16 lakh individuals diagnosed with the disease, Union Health Minister JP Nadda informed Parliament on Friday.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Nadda explained that the screenings were carried out across 17 tribal-dominated states, including areas officially recognised as Scheduled Tribes regions. As of July 28, a total of 6,04,50,683 individuals had been screened, and 2,16,118 were found to have sickle cell disease.
In addition to those diagnosed, more than 16.7 lakh people were identified as carriers of the sickle cell gene. Carriers may not show symptoms but can still pass the gene on to their children.
Odisha reported the highest number of cases, with 96,484 individuals registered on the national sickle cell portal. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh with 30,580 cases, Gujarat with 28,150, Chhattisgarh with 26,104, and Maharashtra with 23,218.
Other states like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand also reported notable case numbers. In contrast, states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh recorded far fewer cases.
Nadda also stated that more than 2.62 crore genetic counselling ID cards have been distributed so far. These cards categorise individuals as normal, carriers, or affected by sickle cell disease, and help guide further medical advice or precautions.
Screening is being carried out at all levels of the public healthcare system, from district hospitals down to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. The commonly used medicine for managing the disease, Hydroxyurea, has been added to the National Health Mission’s list of essential medicines and is now available even at sub-health centres.
Sickle cell disease is a serious inherited blood disorder. It causes lifelong complications such as chronic anaemia, severe pain episodes, organ damage, and reduced life expectancy.
To address this public health challenge, the government launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission in July 2023, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The mission aims to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.
As part of this plan, the government has set a target to screen seven crore people between the ages of 0 and 40 in tribal areas by the end of the financial year 2025–26.
Kanchan Chaurasiya joined Medical Dialogues in 2025 as a Media and Marketing Intern. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Arts from Delhi University and has completed certifications in digital marketing. She has a strong interest in health news, content creation, hospital updates, and emerging trends. At Medical Dialogues, Kanchan manages social media and also creates web stories to enhance mobile content reach and audience engagement.