As the government tries to screen seven crore tribal people for sickle-cell disease (SCD) and attempts to create a data bank of tribal people’s health, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday said there’s considerable suspicion in the target tribal population over why the government was testing their blood.
Mr. Munda said this tended to create a negative impression in many, just as the rumours over COVID vaccines had done earlier, and that the biggest challenge was to dispel these notions and ensure maximum community involvement in the mission.
Mr. Munda’s remarks came as he was speaking at the launch of a training session for an awareness campaign that’s part of the government’s mission to make India “free” of SCD by 2047. This genetic blood disorder is especially prevalent among tribal populations in India.
