New Delhi, June 30 -- In just over a year since its launch, India's National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission (NSCEM) is already demonstrating a notable impact in the nation's fight against Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). This public health initiative, active in 278 districts across the country, has rapidly transformed the approach to both diagnosis and management of SCD. With a focus on tribal populations which are more susceptible to the disease and an ambitious target to eliminate SCD as a public health problem by 2047, the mission has achieved unprecedented reach, which is evident in its screening numbers.

According to government statistics, more than 42 million people were screened for SCD in the first year. This figure, in comparison, is...