NEW DELHI: The training and awareness campaign under the ‘National Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission‘ will focus on reaching the tribal population at the grassroots to bust myths, fight stigma and focus on prevention in local languages and dialects.
From doctors leading the screening to powerful local influencers like women in self help groups, traditional tribal headman and healers – they are all seen as critical messengers in this outreach.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ‘National Mission’ on July 1 from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh with the target of eradication of the disease by 2047.
Launching the training of trainers and awareness campaign in Delhi on Tuesday, tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda asserted the importance of the local languages and influencers on the grassroots including of ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, self help groups, village panchayat members, traditional tribal heads and healers. “The focus is on fighting the stigma, quelling misconceptions and ensuring that people get the right information and agree to get screened in the tribal areas where the trait and disease are prevalent,” Munda said. The mission is being executed as a collaborative exercise involving the ministries of health, tribal affairs and state governments.
A portal and awareness and counselling modules were also launched on July 1. The ministry of tribal affairs is now working towards making these modules available in not just the state languages but also local tribal languages and dialects—Santhali, Kurukh,Oraon, Mundari, Ho, Gondi, Halabi, Korku, Koya and Kui. The modules in English and Hindi will be translated in state languages. The Tribal Research Institutes have been asked to work on the translation to local languages.
Under the Mission, seven crore people will be screened in the age group of 0-40 years for the sickle cell trait and disease across 278 districts of 17 high-focused states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh among others. A genetic disorder, sickle cell anaemia is mostly prevalent in districts with high tribal population.
According to secretary tribal affairs, Anil Kumar Jha, in order to equip trainers with the information to motivate people to come forward to get themselves tested, a three-layer training programme is being implemented at the state, district and village levels. Additionally, state governments have designated tertiary care physicians as master trainers at the state level, with district – level trainers training local influencers and opinion makers.
From doctors leading the screening to powerful local influencers like women in self help groups, traditional tribal headman and healers – they are all seen as critical messengers in this outreach.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ‘National Mission’ on July 1 from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh with the target of eradication of the disease by 2047.
Launching the training of trainers and awareness campaign in Delhi on Tuesday, tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda asserted the importance of the local languages and influencers on the grassroots including of ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, self help groups, village panchayat members, traditional tribal heads and healers. “The focus is on fighting the stigma, quelling misconceptions and ensuring that people get the right information and agree to get screened in the tribal areas where the trait and disease are prevalent,” Munda said. The mission is being executed as a collaborative exercise involving the ministries of health, tribal affairs and state governments.
A portal and awareness and counselling modules were also launched on July 1. The ministry of tribal affairs is now working towards making these modules available in not just the state languages but also local tribal languages and dialects—Santhali, Kurukh,Oraon, Mundari, Ho, Gondi, Halabi, Korku, Koya and Kui. The modules in English and Hindi will be translated in state languages. The Tribal Research Institutes have been asked to work on the translation to local languages.
Under the Mission, seven crore people will be screened in the age group of 0-40 years for the sickle cell trait and disease across 278 districts of 17 high-focused states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh among others. A genetic disorder, sickle cell anaemia is mostly prevalent in districts with high tribal population.
According to secretary tribal affairs, Anil Kumar Jha, in order to equip trainers with the information to motivate people to come forward to get themselves tested, a three-layer training programme is being implemented at the state, district and village levels. Additionally, state governments have designated tertiary care physicians as master trainers at the state level, with district – level trainers training local influencers and opinion makers.