Match sickle cell status, not horoscopes before marriage, say experts in Odisha

…launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Programme (NSCAEP) on July 1, 2023, across 17 high-prevalence states, including Odisha, with the goal of eliminating SCD as a public health problem by 2047. “ The programme is one of India’s largest initiatives to control a genetic disease and is being closely watched internationally because of its scale and comprehensive community-based approach. Besides medical interventions, we also need to address the taboos and social stigma surrounding the disease. People living with SCD themselves must take the lead in creating awareness about the condition ,” said Professor R. K. Jena, a renowned haematologist. Experts, including Ruby Khan, Deputy Director of the National Health Mission, Madhya Pradesh, and Manoranjan Mohapatra, Head of the Department of Haematology at…

…at AIIMS, Delhi, advised patients and their families that people living with sickle cell disease can lead a healthy married life if their partner does not have either sickle cell trait (SCT) or sickle cell disease. “ Kundli milao ya na milao, lekin sickle cell reports milana zaruri hai (Match horoscopes or not, but matching sickle cell medical reports is a must). Pregnant women should also undergo prenatal diagnosis, while screening of family members should be carried out as a preventive measure,”…

…should be carried out as a preventive measure,” said Dr. Khan. Prof Mohapatra said that, unlike thalassaemia, people with SCD can lead normal lives and that, not every patient requires a bone marrow transplant. “ Not every patient will require a bone marrow transplant. Patients must follow the advice prescribed by their doctors and overcome their fears ,” he said. Although medicines such as hydroxyurea, which helps reduce the frequency and severity of pain episodes, are available at government hospitals, and haematology departments have been opened at several…

…are available at government hospitals, and haematology departments have been opened at several government and private hospitals, patients and their families continue to face social stigma associated with the disease. “ In Kandhamal district, where we are studying the social stigma attached to blood disorders, we have found that some people collect medicines from places far from their homes to conceal their condition from neighbours. Marriages also take place without families disclosing the medical condition of their sons or daughters ,” said Debarpita Mohanty, a scientist at the ICMR’s Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar. Published - September 27, 2026 07:08 am IST…