Summary:
BENGALURU, India, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DKMS BMST Foundation India is a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders, such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
The organization aims to give every blood disorder patient in need a second chance at life There are as many as 2.5 million carrier of the gene (Hemoglobin AS) in India that can lead to sickle cell disease, with more than 1,25,000 actual patients spread across the country, with a much higher incidence in the tribal belt of the country.
Sickle cell disease is associated with a significant risk of morbidity and premature mortality, especially among children.
While in the west, a child receiving comprehensive care in high-resource settings has an estimated 99% survival into adulthood.
However, in India, according to an ICMR study, about 20 per cent of children with sickle disease died by the age of two, and 30 per cent children with Sickle Cell Disease die before they reach adulthood.
Dr.
Biju George, Professor & Head, Department of Haematology at CMC Vellore, "People with Sickle Cell Disease, may beat a risk of progressive organ damage, impaired quality of life, considerable morbidity in childhood, and risk of premature mortality in adulthood [median survival of 58 years].