Correct Answer :   Arjun Munda

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday (29 August 2023), inaugurated the ‘Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers’ initiative to educate grassroots workers and enable them to raise awareness about sickle cell anaemia, particularly in tribal regions.

Announced in the 2023-24 budget, the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission targets the eradication of the disease by 2047.

The comprehensive strategy involves public awareness campaigns, the screening of seven crore individuals aged 0-40 in affected tribal areas, and counselling. This collaborative effort will unite central ministries and state governments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched the mission on July 1 in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district. Mr Munda said that the training initiative advances Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a sickle cell disease-free India, driven by community involvement.

He acknowledged both challenges and opportunities in realising the initiative’s success and emphasised the need to engage the community at the grassroots and fostering public participation in a movement to eliminate the disease. Countering misconceptions among the masses and building a collaborative ecosystem are crucial steps, he said.

The minister also underscored the importance of establishing a healthcare database for affected populations to support research and sustainable solutions..

Source : Swachh India