PATH has launched a groundbreaking initiative to address the rising burden of hemoglobinopathies—particularly Thalassemia—in India, with the support of a grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS Foundation). The program aims to strengthen local health systems and expand access to early screening, diagnosis, and treatment in high-prevalence areas.
India accounts for nearly 25% of the global β-thalassemia burden, with an estimated 10,000–15,000 children born each year with Thalassemia Major. Despite this, access to quality care remains limited, and treatment pathways are often fragmented.
This initiative marks among the BMS Foundation’s first grants in India to increase access to screening and build capacity to tackle the life-threatening burden of hemoglobinopathies.
The program will be implemented in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with a focus on:
Strengthening screening and prevention: Focusing on high-prevalence districts and prioritizing key population groups such as pregnant women, newborns, and families with known genetic risk factors.
Capacity-building and training: Equipping frontline health workers to deliver timely, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive care.
Coordinated care systems: Ensuring linkage to management services, including safe blood transfusion services, iron chelation therapy, and bone marrow transplant facilities, where appropriate.
Strengthening the Centre for Competence (CoC): Enhancing the ambit of existing CoCs for Sickle Cell Disease established by the Government of India under NSCAEM to serve as hubs of excellence for Thalassemia care.
Policy integration and innovation: Supporting alignment of national and state-level actions on integrated Thalassemia management with global guidelines and local realities to inform future efforts to scale up integrated interventions.
“This project is expected to directly impact the population across the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh,” said Neeraj Jain, Country Director, India, PATH. “The project’s goal is to impact over 1.8 million pregnant women, newborns, and families of affected individuals, who will receive integrated screening services during the project period. Enhanced capacity of health care providers and access to better treatment will help improve the quality of life for all individuals diagnosed with Thalassemia.”
Catharine Grimes, President of the BMS Foundation, added, “The BMS Foundation is proud to work with PATH on these critical efforts to close gaps in Thalassemia care in India. Across our global work to address pediatric blood disorders, we are committed to removing barriers and strengthening sustainable systems of care. By implementing evidence-based strategies tailored to local community needs, we aim to deliver a scalable, lasting impact.”
