Bhubaneswar, 12th March 2025: Two-day National Workshop successfully concluded. A two-day National Workshop on ‘Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Elimination: Best Practices and Scalable Strategies’ was organized at Mayfair Convention. The valedictory function was graced by Shri Sanjeev Ku Mishra, Principal Secretary, SSD Department, Dr. Poma Tudu, Director, ST, Dr. Raji N.S., Deputy Secretary, MoTA, GoI, Dr. Brunda D, MD, NHM, GoO. More than 300 participants participated in the programme. Senior officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, international delegates, medical experts, representatives from UNDP, UNICEF, ISHBT, and representatives from the Tribal Welfare Department and Health Department of 10 sickle cell affected states also attended.
The two-day workshop discussed in detail about the advances in SCD diagnosis, Augmentation of national SCD elimination Program, Best practices and scalable strategies, social & behaviour change communications and multi sectoral approaches, risks and challenges in SCD management, Future approach for SCD programme in India etc. The two-day workshop was graced by the Prof. Isaac Odame, Director of the Haematology Division, University of Toronto, Canada & founder of Global Sickle Cell Disease Network, who spoke about the Successful implementation and global impact of India sickle cell disease mission.
Similarly, in the two-day discussion, Prof. Dipty Jain from Nagpur, Prof. Maitreyee Bhattacharya from Kolkata, Prof. Akshat Jain, Director, Sickle Cell Disease Program, Loma Linda University, California, USA, Prof. Tulika Seth from AIIMS, Delhi, Prof. Sunita Reddy, Assistant Professor, JNU, Dr. Bontha V. Babu, Head, health systems research division, ICMR, Prof. T.K. Dolai, Head of Haematology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata, Ms. Shobha Tuli, Secretary, Thalassemics, India senior officials of UNICEF and NIC were present and discussed the major problems and prevention of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. In addition, some SCD warrior from states also shared their experiences.
