There is good news for people who are potentially suffering from sickle cell anaemia or who come in contact with it.
The sickle cell anaemia test kit developed under Make in India will be available in the market next year in 2026. This information was given by CSIR DG and Department of Science and Industrial Research (DSIR) Secretary Dr. N. Kalaiselvi in an exclusive conversation with the ITV network on Monday.
He said that this kit has met all the standards, and a single drop of blood will tell whether the person getting tested has sickle cell anaemia or not.
Dr. Kalaiselvi said that currently, the companies are completing their formalities regarding this, and the companies associated with it will get registered in the Gems portal. By the way, 20,000 to 25,000 sickle cell anaemia test kits are ready.
This kit will be available in the market for less than Rs 100, which will tell in about 10 minutes whether a person is suffering from this disease or not.
Many research institutes, including ICMR, CSIR, have worked on making it.
According to sources, the companies have quoted a price of Rs 300 per test kit in the tender. 35 companies worked on this, out of which the result of the kit of 23 companies was 100% accurate, while the result of the remaining 12 companies was 95%.
The test is also designed to be easy to administer.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has tested sickle cell in 5.72 crore people across the country till June 3, 2025 and the central government has set a target of reaching 75% of the entire population in the next 3 years.
India is the third country in the world in terms of people suffering from sickle cell anaemia. According to an estimate, about 10 lakh people in India are victims of this genetic disease.
ALSO READ: Shashi Tharoor Calls PM Modi A ‘Prime Asset for India’ During Operation Sindoor Diplomacy
