CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, May 12: Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) is most prevalent in Jharkhand among all the states in India. Jharkhand is considered to be an endemic zone for SCD and Thalassemia, with a prevalence rate of 8 to 10% which is twice the national average.
A study by Rachana Nagar et al (2015) published in the Journal of Biosciences11 has shown that some regions like East Singhbhum have a high frequency of SCDs.
Another study by Abhijit Chakraborty et al (2010) published in the journal Blood12 represents 28 percent of screened individuals (103) had carrier mutation while 16 percent were patients with the mutation.
A study published in Global Journal for Research Analysis13 showed 87 percent of individuals screened had Sickle Cell trait while 5 percent had the disease, while 8.5 percent had Thalassemia.
Jharkhand’s health secretary Nitin Kulkarni had earlier confirmed in an interview that there is a lack of haematologists in the state due to the lack of seats in the particular course. He added that the cases are looked upon by specialists from different departments.
The disease is most prevalent among tribals from the rural parts due to certain genetic reasons. Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) had conducted school-based screenings which showed that 10 to 20 percent of the persons screened had positive results for this disorder.
A study by Saikia et al (2016) published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research shows Mundari communities (Munda, Ho & Santhal) also have a higher prevalence of 3.07%.
Individuals suffering from SCD, or Thalassemia are advised to refrain from taking standard iron supplementation or an iron-rich diet. Iron-fortified rice is also contra-indicated for them, as mentioned in the Government of India’s Department of Food & Public Distribution guidelines
The earlier state government under Former CM Arjun Munda also had plans for setting up a dedicated centre for the treatment of SCD and Thalassemia in Jharkhand but that too seems to be a farfetched dream. The construction for the centre is yet to start and there are no updates on the current status of the centre.
