Chairs high-impact forum on Advancing Sickle Cell Care and Gene Therapy
Redlands, CA – Dr. Akshat Jain, a renowned California-based hematologist-oncologist, was recently invited to chair the National Workshop on Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Elimination: Best Practices & Scalable Strategies, held on March 11, 2025. The event, jointly organized by UNICEF, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Government of India), and the National Health Mission at Odisha,India convened leading experts to discuss innovative and sustainable solutions for managing sickle cell disease (SCD).
This high-impact forum brought together UNICEF, UNDP, FSSAI, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), AIIMS New Delhi, and key international SCD experts to explore pathways for integrating scientific advancements with real-world implementation. The discussions focused on bridging the gap between innovation, cost, and accessibility—a pressing challenge for emerging markets seeking equitable healthcare solutions.
Dr. Jain, a specialist in pediatric blood disorders at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, delivered an oration as an international guest faculty on "Gene Therapy for Blood Disorders: A Global Equity Perspective." In his address, he highlighted the transformative potential of gene therapy in treating SCD, a disease that disproportionately affects marginalized and tribal populations.
"Gene therapy marks a paradigm shift in sickle cell treatment, offering a potential cure," Dr. Jain noted. "But the question remains—how do we ensure that this revolutionary treatment is affordable and accessible in low-resource settings?"
The forum facilitated critical dialogue among policymakers, researchers, and healthcare leaders, emphasizing the need to balance cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs with cost-effective solutions. The discussions underscored the urgency of scalable, high-impact innovations reaching the underserved communities that need them most.
A Call for Global Collaboration
Dr. Jain and other leading experts reinforced that eliminating sickle cell disease, particularly in tribal and underserved populations, requires a multi-disciplinary, global effort. The workshop served as a critical step toward developing sustainable frameworks for treatment accessibility while ensuring that scientific innovation remains at the forefront of healthcare progress.
Key Takeaway: Science and innovation must walk hand-in-hand with affordability to create a lasting impact in global health.
