ICMR unveils first indigenous thalassaemia testing kit

There are 3-4 per cent 30-40 million beta thalassaemia carriers in India and 10,000-12,000 thalassaemic babies are born every year and 5,000 with sickle cell anaemia. The prevalence is between 5 and 15 per cent among Sindhis,Kutchis,Punjabis,Bhanushalis,Jains and Muslims.

This is a polymerase chain reaction-based test that screens for eight genetic mutations,six of which can cause thalassaemia and two sickle cell anaemia. The cost of production is Rs 500. Screening for these mutations will help us prevent 90-95 per cent cases, said V M Katoch,secretary health research and director general ICMR.

Scientists who developed the kit,meanwhile,rued the fact that a PCR machine which costs about Rs 1 lakh was available in only 10 per cent of medical colleges. They said gynaecologists often did not prescribe the test for pregnant women,unmindful that the cost of treating an ailing child is about Rs 1.5 lakh per year. Most such children do not survive beyond their 25th year.