Sickle Cell patients growing in tribal pockets of undivided Visakhapatnam district, says expert

Sickle Cell Disease research in tribal areas aims to raise awareness and improve treatment facilities for affected individuals.

Sickle Cell Disease is prevalent among the tribal people, particularly those living in the Agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district, according to Paripandla Sridevi, an Associate Professor in the Central Tribal University, Vizianagaram.

An estimated 1% of the total population has SCD, and 4% are carriers of the sickle cell trait, Prof. Sridevi said on the eve of World Sickle Cell Day, which is observed on June 19 every year.

Prof. Sridevi has been conducting research in the tribal areas of the undivided Visakhapatnam district in the North Andhra region, for the past three years.

The research is being conducted as part of the ICMR–National Task Force Project, which has been going on for the past seven years.

The SCD is caused by sickle cell gene, a defective one which looks like a sickle.

People affected with the disease are born with two sickle cell genes—one from each parent. Those born with one sickle cell gene, called sickle cell trait, are generally healthy, but they can pass on the defective gene to their children, she said.

“Initially, Prof. Sudhakar of the Department of Human Genetics, Andhra University, has worked on the project. Then I worked on the same project in Madhya Pradesh. I have been working on the project for the past three years at Gannela, Madagada and Paderu of ASR district,” Prof. Sridevi told The Hindu.