Regulate marriages of sickle cell diseased to save Adivasis

The Adivasis of Adilabad are experiencing a significant health adversity due to sickle cell anemia, a hereditary disease. 

Medical experts have identified cross- cousin marriages within the community as a major contributing factor to sickle cell disease.   

Officials and medical experts opine that regulating unions between the sickle cell carriers, positives, and normal people were the only way to prevent the disease from being carried over to the successive generations.

“Five percent Adivasis are suffering from sickle cell anemia in the district. This is an alarming figure, and it is high time we control its spread”, said R.V Karnan, Project Officer, ITDA, Utnoor.

The Integrated Tribal Development Agency officials are planning to issue health cards about the status of sickle cell disease after screening nearly 5 lakh Adivasis in the Adilabad.

This measure also adopted in Gujarat at the behest of the Tribal Welfare Commissioner, Government of India and also counseled prospective brides and grooms about their health status and took preventive measures against the birth of children who were sickle cell positive or carrier.  

The incidence of sickle cell disease, seen in the Adivasis in the Telangana, is high among the Gond, Pardhan, Thoti, Koya Adivasis. 

Blood tests conducted by 40,732 students of Ashram schools and among them 2,600 students found sickle cell active.  Efforts are being made to screen students the junior colleges also after reopening colleges in the Utnoor division.

According to medical experts, there are chances of 50 percent children being born as carriers, 25 percent as positive and remaining 25 percent as healthy if two carriers got married.

As many as 50 percent children would be born as carriers and another 50 percent as normal if a normal and carrier got married. There were chances of 100 percent children being born sickle cell active if two sickle cell diseased got married.

The ITDA will issues while cards to the healthy people, complete yellow cards to sickle cell carriers after screening the Adivasis.

A doctor involved in the research opined that they could not impose scientific research on the Adivasis as they had their set of customs and traditions. They would have to accept the ground realities to save future generations from major health problems that posing a threat to their very existence.