Adilabad: There is cause for alarm in Adilabad district as the number of sickle cell positive cases is rising and is the highest in the state.
Nearly 600 positive sickle cell cases were found among the screened 23,000 students studying in Tribal Ashram schools in the district. The survey was conducted in Tribal Ashram schools in Wankidi, Kerameri, Tiryani, Indravelli, Utnoor, Sirpur (U), Khanapur, Kadam, Jainoor mandals so far. Thalassemia is also found along with sickle cell among some students in the medical tests.
People become anaemic with the sickle cell disease and are prone to many other diseases. Mental and physical growth is reduced due to lack of oxygen in the cells.
Sickle cell disease is caused by marrying one’s cousin in the same family or when a sickle cell positive person marries another of the same medical status. The children of such a marriage will become carriers of the disease. Research into the family tree of people tested positive can detect the cause. Malaria and sickle cell diseases are interrelated and sickle cell cases are found more among the Adivasis living in malaria zones and suffering from malaria.
It is found that most of the cases were among the Adivasi students of Gonds, Kolams and Pardhan, Thoti and other groups. However, the exact figure of the positive cases of sickle cell cases will be found only after conducting tests of family members.
Sickle cell anaemia is hereditary and a genetic related disease which transmits to children from parents. The survey revealed shocking statistics that the positive sickle cell cases are high and situation is alarming in the district.
The famous Nagoba Jatara scheduled for February 7 to 15 will be a life saving event this time for the thousands of Adivasis. Medical tests will be conducted on the Adivasis who visit the temple for sickle cell anaemia disease.
Thousands of Adivasis are suffering from with sickle cell anaemia in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the country. .
Blood samples will be collected from Adivasis at special medical camp to be conducted during the Jatara and precautions will be given to the people tested positive on preventing the sickle cell from transmitting to the children.
District malaria officer Alham Ravi said they were conducting a medical camp for initial screening of blood tests to people for sickle cell and they will conduct HPLC tests ( High Pressure Liquid Chromatology) to the positives to identify the specific category of sickle cell.
He said they will get precious data by conducting screening tests to Adivasis at Jatara which will be used for tracing out their family members and relatives in positive cases.
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