Govt plans sickle cell anaemia vax with pvt cos

livemint.com:

NEW DELHI : The Central government and pharma companies are discussing the possibility of developing a vaccine against sickle cell anaemia. The matter was discussed in a recent meeting of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization. As apart of the government’s National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month, the government is also upgrading the healthcare facilities to providing tertiary care to sickle cell patients.

The target is to eliminate the disease by 2047. Under the current plan, blood banks are being established for patients, and arrangements for bone marrow transplants and screening of such patients are also being revamped. “The Centre will work in mission mode to eliminate the disease.

Healthcare facilities are being upgraded to provide quick treatment to such patients, blood banks are being established in hospitals, arrangement for bone marrow transplants and screening of such patients is also being revamped," an official said adding that patients may shortly get the vaccine under the disease elimination mission. “This has been discussed in a recent the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization meeting to consider the vaccination of such patients," said the official. Queries sent to the health ministry did not elicit any response.

Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary blood disorder, with women and children more vulnerable to the disease. Nearly 20% of tribal children affected die before reaching the age of two, and 30% children die before reaching adulthood. States including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar