Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Sickle Cell Eradication Mission 2047 in seventeen states across the country by giving away Health ID Card namely “GIPCI (Genetic Inheritance Prediction Counselling Identification) Card” used for genetic inheritance pattern identification & counselling thus preventing Sickle cell disease and thalassemia also known as “Sickle cell status ID Card”.
On this occasion Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give away special Hemoglobinopathy genetic counselling cards to the beneficiaries innovated by doctor couple of Bhopal. The said Hemoglobinopathy Genetic counselling card also called GIPCI (Genetic Inheritance Prediction Counselling Identification) cards are patented and copyrighted specially designed cards for prevention of Sickle cell anemia and thalassemia under the call from the PM Modi “Patent, Produce & Prosper”. Researcher couple Dr. Nisanth Nambison, Associate professor at Government Homoeopathic College and Hospital, and Dr. Smita Nambison from capital city Bhopal have invented a forecast card that accurately forecasts the monogenic disorder that will occur in the children of a married couple. This will prove to be a revolution in medical science. Now eradication and prevention of disease without any medicine is Possible.
Prior to this invention, the challenge was two folds:
Genetic inheritance pattern identification and counselling requires special skills, it becomes challenging for health care workers, person with minimum education, or for the prospective parents or marriage mates to identify the genetic pattern of inheritance of putative progeny and counsel on their own.
Non-availability of getting genetic counsellor who will look at the pedigree chart of couple wanting to marry, to make informed choices for reproduction to have healthy children. In the absence of education about the disease, genetically ineligible couple marries to bring a diseased child to this world and create a healthcare burden, which is 100% preventable.
According to the National Health Mission Government of India, India has the highest number of 42 million Thalassemia patients in the world and about 10,000 to 15,000 children affected by Thalassemia Major are born every year.
And sickle cell disease in India varies from 1 to 35% in different communities, which is an exceptionally large number. According to the National Health Mission's Policy Document 2016 and WHO, genetic counselors will have to be appointed in health centers for effective prevention of these diseases.
Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of sickle cell disease patients. Pradhan, Mehara, Sindhi, Punjabi, Gond, Bhil, Bharia, Korku, Kol, Bhumia, Baiga, Sahu, Panika, Chaudhary, etc. are the most affected communities, as they have many patients of these diseases.
