Odisha Steps Up Fight Against Sickle Cell Anaemia and Thalassemia with State-Level Training Initiative

Bhubaneswar: In a renewed push to eliminate genetic blood disorders, the National Health Mission (NHM), in collaboration with UNICEF, organized a two-day state-level Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Bhubaneswar on April 22 and 23, focusing on awareness, counselling, and treatment protocols for sickle cell disease and thalassemia. The initiative aligns with the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, aiming to eradicate the disease by 2047, as envisioned by the Prime Minister.

The training brought together around 150 key health personnel from across 30 districts of Odisha, including assistant managers of NHM, medical officers, programme assistants (Sickle Cell), and district communication officers (ADPHEO). Senior health officials from both NHM and UNICEF were also present.

Dr. Dinabandhu Sahu, Team Leader at NHM, hailed Odisha’s leadership in combating these disorders said, “Odisha has been a pioneer in the fight against sickle cell and thalassemia by launching systematic screening and awareness programmes. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the national mission of eliminating sickle cell anaemia by 2047.”

The training focused on raising awareness, promoting early diagnosis, and equipping healthcare workers with tools to counsel patients and communities effectively. Sessions covered government entitlements, treatment pathways, and behavioral communication strategies to fight misinformation.

Dr. Sugata Roy, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist at UNICEF, underscored the importance of community engagement, said, “Tackling sickle cell anaemia requires robust health interventions and effective behaviour change communication. A perfect jugalbandi of these two measures will dispel deep-rooted myths and misconceptions.”

According to official data, over 41 lakh people have been screened in Odisha under the state’s sickle cell initiative. Of them, 3.5 lakh have been identified as carriers, and nearly 1 lakh diagnosed with the disease. The training aimed to empower frontline workers with knowledge and counselling skills to reduce stigma, boost early detection, and encourage treatment-seeking behaviour.

The event also featured expert inputs from Dr. Pradeep Kumar Patro, Director of Blood Safety; Dr. Nirod Kumar Sahoo, Additional Technical Officer, NHM; and Dr. Brajesh Merta, Health Officer, UNICEF.

Odisha’s commitment to tackling sickle cell and thalassemia continues through grassroots health initiatives, with community-based awareness and targeted healthcare delivery forming the backbone of its disease elimination strategy.