Madhya Pradesh doctors’ sickle cell screening card gains global recognition
A low-cost screening and genetic counselling tool developed by a doctor couple from Madhya Pradesh to help combat sickle cell disease in tribal communities has received international recognition after being featured in a book published by Harvard University Press.
The work of homoeopaths Prof Dr Nishant Nambison and Dr Smita Nambison has been highlighted in “Curved Air: A Biography of Sickle Cell Anaemia and the Quest to Cure the First Molecular Disease”, written by molecular geneticist Kevin Davies and published in August.
Nishant Nambison, an associate professor at the Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital in Bhopal, said the book’s recognition of their work marked an international acknowledgment of a grassroots health innovation from Madhya Pradesh. His wife Smita is a doctor and independent researcher.
The initiative was developed after the couple observed the difficulties faced by children and families affected by sickle cell disease in Chhindwara, including limited awareness, inadequate screening and poor access to genetic counselling.
In 2018, their team, with support from the local administration, carried out door-to-door screening of around 25,000 people. The exercise revealed several barriers, including fear of testing, long distances to healthcare centres, social hesitation and limited availability of genetic counselling.
To address these challenges, the researchers developed the GIPCI (Genetic Inheritance Prediction Counselling Identification) Card. The tool uses colour coding and a punch-hole system to help individuals understand their sickle cell status and the potential genetic risk of passing the condition to their children.
Davies’ book also discusses a proposed mobile application and central database linked to the system, which could make genetic counselling more accessible and easier to understand.
The book also examines India’s target of eliminating sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047. Responding to the goal, Nambison is quoted as saying, “There is nothing wrong with being ambitious. Whether this goal will be achieved or not, time will tell.”
with inputs from PTI
