AP screens for sickle cell disease in agency districts

 Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has taken up screening for sickle cell disease in Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram districts as a pilot project. The first phase of screening is in all schools, colleges and hostels.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Sickle Cell Anaemia Mission in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, AP health minister Vidadala Rajani disclosed that the Centre has allotted AP the target of screening 19,90,277 tribal people for sickle cell anaemia in age group of 0-40 years during the three financial years of 2023–26.

Apart from ASR and Parvathipuram districts, the screening will also be carried out in ITDA areas of Nandyal, Prakasam, Palnadu, Srikakulam and Eluru.

In ASR district, 53,428 solubility tests had been done by a hired agency in 2022–23, of which 2,334 turned positive. 178 of the persons were confirmed with the disease.

The state government is also providing a pension of ₹10,000 per month to all confirmed cases.

In all, AP has 1,800 positive cases of sickle cell disease. They are all getting the YSR pension.