In a letter to the vice-chancellors of all universities and the principals of all HEIs, Professor Manish R. Joshi, secretary of the UGC, advised them to think about introducing a chapter on hereditary blood disorders or SCD in both schools and institutes.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has requested that higher education institutes (HEI) include a chapter on Sickle Cell Diseases (SCD) in their course curriculum to raise awareness and encourage prevention.
In a letter to the vice-chancellors of all universities and the principals of all HEIs, Professor Manish Joshi, secretary of the UGC, advised them to think about introducing a chapter on hereditary blood disorders or SCD in both schools and institutes. The chapter will include prevention strategies in addition to their causes, treatments, inheritance patterns, and testing methods.
The commission came up with this decision after it was brought to notice by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). “It is given to understand that SCD is a recessive gene disorder that results in severe, lifelong anemia with potentially life-threatening co-morbidity and mortality,” reads an official notice.
Further in the notification, UGC has informed that India stands second with sickle cell disease cases in the world, with an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 children being born each year with this disorder.
According to the Commission, proper knowledge, counseling, and targeted therapy can effectively reduce the symptoms of SCD. It was previously suggested that a well-designed educational program can assist in raising knowledge of sickle cell disorders at various community levels, including schools and higher education institutions.
 (Source: News 18)Â
