Dr. Swati Piramal, the Vice-chairperson of the Piramal Foundation, emphasized the need for collaborative action between the government, businesses, and NGOs to fight sickle cell disease (SCD) in India. The National Sickle Cell Disease Control Program (NSCDP)s main aim of eliminating SCD by 2047 was underlined by the speaker as requiring a thorough and coordinated strategy. 

In Kanker, Chhattisgarh, and Khunti, Jharkhand, the Piramal Foundation developed the Unmukt Program with support from Novartis CSR. This initiative comprises mobile medical units visiting villages to test vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and the family of people who have SCA. If a screening test reveals a positive result, the patient is sent to a district hospital for further testing and treatment.

She said frontline workers participate in sessions on community mobilization and awareness, stressed the significance of early diagnosis in treating SCD, and suggested setting up a network of laboratories and referral facilities for genetic counseling and confirmatory testing. Additionally, she advocated for SCD patients to have access to high-quality care at all healthcare system levels, including primary care offices, district hospitals, and tertiary care facilities and implementing universal screening for SCD among pregnant women, new mothers, kids, and teenagers utilizing easy-to-afford techniques.

She concluded that such cooperative efforts would go a long way towards transforming the country, enhancing the health and welfare of tribal residents, and guaranteed to include all.

(Source:https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/multi-faceted-collaborations-crucial-to-scd-eradication-in-india-dr-swati-piramal/100704212)