{"id":41129,"date":"2024-06-04T11:21:58","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T05:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=41129"},"modified":"2025-10-06T12:39:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T07:09:43","slug":"hydroxyurea-to-treat-sickle-cell-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/hydroxyurea-to-treat-sickle-cell-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydroxyurea for Children: A New Approach to Treat Sickle Cell Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>What is Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA)?<\/li>\n<li>What happens in SCA?<\/li>\n<li>SCA in India<\/li>\n<li>Steps taken by India to address SCA<\/li>\n<li>Hydroxyurea to treat sickle cell disease in children<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why in News?<\/h2>\n<p>The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) seeks partners for a new project. They want to develop and commercialize a low-dose or children&#8217;s version of hydroxyurea. This medication will treat sickle cell disease in India. Eligible organizations are invited to express their interest.<\/p>\n<h2>What is Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA)?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>First discovered by a physician named James Herrick, Sickle cell anemia is one of a group of <i><strong>inherited disorders<\/strong><\/i> known as <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/sickle-cell-disease-scd\/\" target=\"_blank\">sickle cell disease (SCD)<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>It affects the shape of <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/red-blood-cells\/\" target=\"_blank\">red blood cells<\/a>, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.<\/li>\n<li>Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.<\/li>\n<li>In someone who has SCD, the hemoglobin is abnormal, which causes the red blood cells to become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a sickle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What happens in SCA?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A round red blood cell can move easily through blood vessels because of its shape but sickle red blood cells end up slowing and even blocking, the blood flow.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Moreover, sickle cells die early, resulting in a shortage of red blood cells that deprive the body of oxygen.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>These obstructions and shortages may cause chronic anaemia, pain, fatigue, acute chest syndrome, stroke, and a host of other serious health complications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>SCA in India<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>India is the second-worst affected country<\/strong> in terms of predicted births with SCA \u2014 i.e., chances of being born with the condition.\n<ul>\n<li>In India, around 18 million people have sickle cell traits and 1.4 million patients have sickle cell disease.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is widespread among the tribal population in India where about 1 in 86 births among STs have SCD.<\/li>\n<li>A few states in India have a significantly higher SCD prevalence. These include:\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala and Rajasthan.<\/li>\n<li>Collectively, these states are referred to as the sickle cell belt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Steps taken by India to address SCA<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has launched the <i><strong>Sickle Cell Disease Support Corner<\/strong><\/i> to bridge the gap between patients and health care services in tribal areas.\n<ul>\n<li>The Portal provides a web-based patient powered registration system which will collate all information related to SCD among tribal people in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>National Council on Sickle Cell Disease<\/strong> has also been constituted for timely and effective action.<\/li>\n<li>In the Budget 2023-24, the government announced its plans to distribute \u201c<i><strong>special cards<\/strong><\/i>\u201d across tribal areas to people below the age of 40.\n<ul>\n<li>The cards will be divided into different categories based on the screening results.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The mission will receive funding under the National Health Mission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>In July 2023, PM Modi launched <i><strong>National Sickle Cell Anaemia Eradication Mission<\/strong><\/i> (NSCAEM) 2047.\n<ul>\n<li>The mission aims to address the pressing health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among the tribal population.\n<ul>\n<li>It was announced in the Union Budget 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Through this mission, the government aims to eradicate sickle cell anemia from India in a mission mode by 2047.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Hydroxyurea to treat sickle cell disease in children<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About Hydroxyurea<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Hydroxyurea is an oral chemotherapy drug that is prescribed to people with sickle cell disease.\n<ul>\n<li>It is a medicine that can help people who have sickle cell disease.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>It keeps blood cells round and flexible, so they flow better and deliver oxygen to the body more easily.<\/li>\n<li>Hydroxyurea, a myelosuppressive agent, is an effective drug for treating patients of sickle cell disease, and thalassemia.\n<ul>\n<li>A myelosuppressive agent is a treatment that slows or stops the growth of blood-forming cells in the bone marrow.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This can include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and steroids.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Working<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>When sickle cell blood cells are deoxygenated, they begin to clump together and form chains, or long polymers.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>As polymers, sickle cells are also stickier. This stickiness increases the risk of blockages developing in small blood vessels.<\/li>\n<li>Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) can prevent polymers from forming and, therefore, reduce the likelihood of blockages and organ damage from occurring.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Hydroxyurea increases the amount of HbF in the blood, and this is how it prevents complications from sickle cell disease.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hydroxyurea for Children<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Most pharmaceutical companies in India offer hydroxyurea in 500 mg capsules or 200 mg tablets.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The main challenge in treating pediatric patients is the lack of a suspension form, making low-dose treatment difficult.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Service providers must break down high-dose tablets, risking dose accuracy and efficacy.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>There is a need for a pediatric formulation of hydroxyurea, especially considering the number of sickle cell disease cases and the goal of eliminating the disease in India by 2047.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Q.1. What is Hydroxyurea?<\/h3>\n<p>Hydroxyurea is an oral chemotherapy drug that is prescribed to people with sickle cell disease. It is a medicine that can help people who have sickle cell disease. It keeps blood cells round and flexible, so they flow better and deliver oxygen to the body more easily.<\/p>\n<h3>Q.2. What is Fetal hemoglobin (HbF)?<\/h3>\n<p>Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is a type of hemoglobin found in fetuses and newborns. It differs from adult hemoglobin (HbA) in its structure and its ability to bind oxygen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/health\/icmr-seeks-to-provide-oral-formulation-of-hydroxyurea-to-treat-sickle-cell-disease-in-children\/article68246282.ece#:~:text=The%20ICMR%2C%20which%20is%20the,lack%20of%20availability%20of%20paediatric\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ICMR seeks to provide oral formulation of hydroxyurea to treat sickle cell disease in children<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-history\/rani-durgavati-gaurav-yatra-mudhal-history-mp-elections-explained-8685386\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Indian Express<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/hydroxyurea-for-sickle-cell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Medical News Today<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sickle Cell Anaemia affects the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":41130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-41129","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}