President Murmu to attend MP Govt's programme on World Sickle Cell Day tomorrow

President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest of the mega event, which will be held at the sports stadium of Gram Panchayat Taloon in Barwani district, the Madhya Pradesh government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, who is supervising the awareness campaign for Sickle Cell in the state, along with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla also will also attend the programme.

On this occasion, several innovations will be launched, including a genetic counselling awareness video and comprehensive guidelines, modules for affected pregnant women. Panchayats that have completed 100 per cent screening of the targeted age group will be felicitated.

The 'Sickle Cell Mitra' initiative will also be launched in collaboration with the NCC Directorates of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which work as links between service providers to raise awareness among the youth population in tribal communities. Besides, special counselling camps will be set up in 33 affected districts, where individuals will receive genetic counselling, disease management information, prospects for future generations, and details of necessary medical services.

"Special camps will be organised from sub-centres to district hospitals at all primary and secondary health institutions to identify patients, screen them, and test other family members," the health department said in a press note issued on Wednesday.

Sickle cell patients and their caregivers will be made aware of management methods for acute situations such as pain crises. Campaigns will be conducted for screening and counselling in particularly affected tribal and rural panchayats of the affected districts.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission at a public programme in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, in June 2023. The mission entails a focus on awareness creation, universal screening of approximately 7 crore people in the 0-40 years age group in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.