Why in the news?

• India launched the first indigenous CRISPR-based Gene therapy, BIRSA 101, to treat Sickle Cell Disease.

BIRSA 101

• What is it?: BIRSA 101 is a tribal health initiative launched by the Government of India to eliminate Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) among tribal and other high-risk populations.
• Launch: Announced in Union Budget 2023–24 and launched in 2023, as part of the broader National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) 2047
• Full Form:
  • BIRSA: Blood Initiative for Rapid Screening Action.
  • 101 refers to a standardised screening protocol designed for large-scale, last-mile detection.
• Objectives:
  • Early detection of SCD among tribal youth, children, and pregnant women.
  • Mass screening in high-prevalence states (Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat).
  • Counselling and genetic awareness to reduce disease transmission.
  • Strengthen primary health care and digital tracking of patients.
• Key Features:
  • Door-to-door screening using a simple card-based test and confirmatory lab diagnostics.
  • Integration with ABHA Health ID and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
  • Mandatory pre-marital and antenatal screening campaign in high-incidence districts.
  • ASHA, ANM, Tribal Health Workers as field personnel.
  • Focus on tribal communities, where SCD prevalence can be 10–15% for carriers and 1–2% for disease.

Sickle Cell Disease

• What is it? – It is an inherited blood disorder.
• Effect
  • It affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body.
  • People with this disease have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
• What causes it? – The cause of Sickle cell disease is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
• Symptoms:
  • Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia, painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
  • Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
• Diagnosis
  • Solubility test / Dithionite test
  • Hemoglobin electrophoresis
  • HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
  • Genetic testing (for prenatal diagnosis)
• Treatments – The only cure for this disease is bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.

Sickle Cell Disease in India

• Area Affected: High prevalence in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
• Government Initiatives to Counter
  • National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM), 2023–2047: Aiming to Screen 7 crore people aged 0–40 years in high-burden states and ensure genetic counselling and follow-up care.
  • BIRSA 101: Rapid, decentralised screening model.
  • Tribal Health Action Plan: Special focus on PVTGs under PM-JANMAN & TB-Mukt Bharat convergence.

Source: Indian Express