Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district on Saturday (July 1). The PM will also distribute sickle cell genetic status cards to beneficiaries during the event, according to an official release issued on Friday. The mission's stated goal is to address the urgent health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among tribal populations.
Sickle-cell anaemia is caused by a faulty gene called Haemoglobin S, which causes flexible red blood cells to stiffen and become sickle-shaped, obstructing blood flow and increasing the risk of organ damage.
According to the release, the launch will be a critical step in the Centre's efforts to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047. The Mission was first mentioned in the Union Budget 2023.
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, and Uttarakhand are among the 17 high-focus states.
At the first event, Modi will also begin the distribution of approximately 3.57 crore Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) cards in Madhya Pradesh, where Assembly elections are scheduled for the end of the year.
The Ayushman card distribution campaign is a step towards realising the PM's vision of reaching out to every beneficiary to ensure 100% saturation of welfare schemes, the release said.
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In addition, the PM will visit Pakaria village in the district and meet with tribal leaders, self-help groups, PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act) committee leaders, and captains of village-level football clubs.
As per a programme schedule released by the BJP, PM Modi will launch the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission at 3:30 PM and visit Pakaria village in the district.
Modi will also attend the conclusion of the 'Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra,' according to state BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma, as reported by PTI.
Rani Durgavati ruled over Gondwana in the mid-16th century. She is remembered as a brave, fearless, and courageous warrior who fought against the Mughals for freedom. The PM is visiting Madhya Pradesh for the second time in four days.
Modi was scheduled to visit Shahdol district on June 27 after visiting Bhopal, where he physically and virtually flagged off five Vande Bharat trains and addressed BJP workers, but the visit was cancelled due to inclement weather, news agency PTI reported citing an official.