On World Sickle Cell Day, Onkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh became the focal point of a national health milestone on Friday, as President Droupadi Murmu attended a special programme and announced that India had met its sickle cell screening target of 1.25 crore people ahead of schedule. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav used the occasion to set a more ambitious marker — 1.60 crore screenings in Madhya Pradesh before 2027.

Murmu, who was the chief guest at the event, visited an exhibition on sickle cell anaemia and interacted with patients, awareness workers, and healthcare professionals. She noted that the mission, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh roughly three years ago, had delivered results that deserved recognition.

"The screening target has been achieved ahead of time," the President said, adding that over 1.25 crore people had been screened so far and that most had been provided genetic counselling cards. She credited the coordinated effort between the Union Health Ministry and the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry, describing it as the first such joint model in the country's public health history. Murmu also noted that research was underway not just in allopathy but in Ayurveda as well — a detail she said she was pleased to learn from the stalls at the exhibition.

The sickle cell mission was positioned from the outset not merely as a health programme but as a broader social intervention. Officials said the initiative draws on scientific and social research conducted by ICMR, the Tribal Health Research Institute, AIIMS, NAHM, WHO and several state governments. The emphasis has been on genetic awareness, preventive healthcare, and shifting community behaviour around marriage and family planning in affected populations.

Governor Mangubhai Patel, also present at the event, underscored the 2027 deadline for completing all targeted screenings, after which focus would shift to treatment and long-term management. He said the tribal communities affected by the disease would remember the campaign.

CM Yadav placed the state's efforts in concrete numbers. Over the past three years, Madhya Pradesh has screened 1 crore 32 lakh individuals for sickle cell. The target now is to push that figure to 1 crore 60 lakh before the end of 2026-27.

At the ground level, Block Medical Officer Dr. Anand Onkar explained the logic of pre-marital screening, the programme's central prevention tool. Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary condition, he said, and intergenerational spread can be significantly reduced if both partners are tested before marriage. Couples are counselled on the probability of the disease appearing in their children, based on their test results and sickle cell cards, and are then left to make their own informed decision.

Sarpanches from Khalwa, Chhaigaon Makhan, Punasa and Pandhana blocks were felicitated at the event for their role in driving screening and awareness drives in their villages. Sickle cell patients, regular blood donors, and community volunteers working on awareness were also honoured.

Further events and screenings are planned as part of the ongoing national mission.