The government will launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24 on Wednesday.
On the health front, she further said that 157 new nursing colleges will be established in co-location with the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014.
"A mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 will be launched. It will entail awareness creation, universal screening of seven crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments," Sitharaman said, presenting the budget in Lok Sabha.
New programme to promote research in pharma
Nirmala Sitharaman announced launch of a new programme to promote research in pharmaceuticals with a view to promoting growth of the sector.
The finance minister said facilities in select Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laboratories will be made available for research by public and private medical college faculty members and private sector research and development teams for encouraging collaborative research and innovation.
She also said facilities in select ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) labs will be made available for research by public and private medical faculties.
The domestic pharma industry had demanded that Budget 2023-24 should help fuel innovation and R&D, which will set the pace for propelling the pharmaceutical industry.
The Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India had demanded that the government encourage the transition to a discovery-oriented and science-driven approach by offering fiscal incentives and supportive policies in order for the life sciences sector to truly contribute to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Charu Sehgal, Partner, Deloitte India said," The announcement of providing investment and setting up centres of excellence to promote research and development in pharma is much needed and will help India move up the value chain in the life sciences sector."_
The focus on providing skilled manpower availability for high-end research and manufacturing in the medical technology sector will help India become more self reliant and reduce the current high dependence on imports, Sehgal added.
(With PTI Inputs)
