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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Madhya Pradesh on Saturday and  launch a campaign to eliminate Sickle Cell Anemia, a genetic disease in tribal population, in Shahdol.

He is scheduled to arrive in Shahdol - one of the tribal populated district in the state - at 3.30 p.m.

Notably, the tribal population of eight districts are affected with Sickle cell disease (SCD), which is a genetic condition characterised by abnormal hemoglobin in red blood cells (RBCs). 

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported high incidence of sickle cell anaemia in six tribes spread across 15 districts of Madhya Pradesh.

The tribes - Pradhan, Panika, Barela, Bhilala, Jharia and Mehra — are mostly affected with it.

As many as 15 districts — Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone, Burhanpur, Betul, Chhindwara, Jabalpur, Mandla, Dindori, Katni, Umaria, Shahdol and Anuppur — are with high index of sickle cell anaemia, according to ICMR report.

The initiative to eliminate this genetic disease from tribal people was announced by PM Modi during a visit to Bhopal on the occasion of - Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on November 15, 2021.

According to ICMR, in Sickle Cell disease, the red blood cells become rigid and sticky and are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These irregular shaped cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body.

The Mission aims to address the pressing health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among the tribal population. "The launch will mark a crucial milestone in the Government's ongoing efforts to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047," the Prime Minister's Office release stated.

Notably, the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2023.

This will be implemented in 278 districts of 17 high-focused states in the country namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, and Uttarakhand, the release added.

The health ministry will steer the screening through the National Health Mission, with targets set for states and the tribal affairs ministry. They will focus on awareness, counselling and assisting health workers in reaching tribal clusters for screening.