Sickle Cell Anaemia is a genetic condition wherein misshapen red blood cells are unable to carry oxygen throughout the body. The government plans to eradicate it by 2047 and the first step in that direction is to test 70 million at risks individuals by 2025, whilst counselling those who carry the gene about the implications of it on marriage and parenthood. In Surguja, Andhra Pradesh 19-year-old Poonam Gond has been diagnosed with the disease that has since put a pause on her life. Gond struggles with symptoms as she was diagnosed much later in life, while navigating the unavailability of medicines that are crucial to keep symptoms at bay. Geeta Aayam, her social worker was also born in an indigenous family in Chhattisgarh but she had managed to complete her education and get a job, before she was diagnosed and received immediate care. This played an instrumental role in the way she coped with the challenges.
In Chhattisgarh, there is 1 doctor for 16,000 people.
While gaps in rural healthcare steadily widen, what are the repercussions on the health of those with genetic conditions. Read more to find out what several others, including social workers and healthcare providers have to say about the situation.