Sickle cell in India: where it is found and how common it is | CION Cancer Clinics

It is found in both states, mainly among tribal communities in northern Telangana and the Agency areas of Andhra Pradesh. Both states are part of the national screening mission. It is less common in most non-tribal groups, but it does occur. If your family comes from these areas, a blood test is the only way to know.

Many tribal groups across central, western, eastern and southern India have been found to carry the gene, and the rate changes a lot from group to group. We do not list communities by name, because a label can lead to stigma and it cannot replace a test. Ask your local health worker whether screening is running near you.

Anyone whose family comes from a community where sickle cell is common. Also anyone with a relative who has the trait or the disease, couples planning marriage or pregnancy, and children with repeated unexplained pain, swelling of the hands and feet, or low blood counts. The test is simple and done on a blood sample.

No. The trait does not turn into the disease, because your genes do not change. Most carriers live normal lives. A few rare problems can happen at very high altitude or with extreme dehydration during heavy exercise. The main reason to know is so you can plan a family with full information.

That decision belongs to the couple. Two carriers can marry and have healthy children. What changes is the chance, in every pregnancy, of a child with the disease. A genetic counsellor or haematologist can explain the odds and the tests offered during pregnancy, so the choice is an informed one.

Carrying one sickle gene gives some protection against severe malaria. In areas where malaria was common for a long time, carriers were more likely to survive, so the gene spread. That protection does not apply to people with the disease, for whom malaria and other infections can be dangerous.

Screening under the national mission is offered free in the areas it covers, through government health centres and camps. Coverage and rules can change, so check with your nearest primary health centre or district hospital. At a private clinic, ask about the charge and whether your scheme or insurance applies before the test.

See a haematologist, a blood specialist, for a care plan. It usually covers vaccines, preventing infection, drinking enough water, knowing the warning signs and regular check-ups. Some children are offered medicines that reduce pain episodes. Your haematologist decides this. Do not start or stop any medicine on your own.