MoU signed for sickle cell anaemia screening project in Jharkhand

Jamshedpur, Mar 11 (PTI) An MoU was signed on Tuesday for implementation of a comprehensive sickle cell anaemia screening project in Jharkhand, a statement said.

Tata Steel Foundation (TSF), National Health Mission (NHM), Jharkhand, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad signed the MoU in the presence of additional chief secretary, Health, Ajoy Kumar Singh, the TSF statement said.

The initiative was aimed at enabling large-scale community-based screening and raising awareness to reduce the burden of sickle cell anaemia across Jharkhand, it said.

Sickle cell anaemia is a blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become rigid and sickle-shaped.

Under this collaboration, a sickle cell testing hub will be established at the district hospital, Khasmahal, East Singhbhum with the infrastructure for large-scale screening of those under 40 years, across the Kolhan region of Jharkhand comprising East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela- Kharsawan districts.

"We are happy to partner with the Government of Jharkhand, NHM and CSIR-CCMB, whose work is widely known, towards addressing this congenital issue. We look forward to path-breaking successes and garnering the trust of the communities in this domain," said Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President (Corporate Services), Tata Steel. PTI BS RG