Bhopal, June 19 -- President of India, Draupadi Murmu, on Friday graced the international sickle cell day commemoration at Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that commemoration of the International Sickle Cell Day is a meaningful effort towards addressing a significant challenge in the health sector. She was happy to note that the target of screening under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission was achieved ahead of schedule.

President Murmu stated that the screening of seven crore people, ranging from newborns to those up to 40 years of age, is not a small achievement; it is one of the largest initiatives for genetic disease screening in the world.

The President said that it is the ...