ICMR initiates steps to provide easy to use non-invasive testing to tackle anaemia in India

The ICMR noted that testing and treatment of anaemia, with a special focus on pregnant women and on school-going adolescents, is one of the key AMB strategic interventions

Students being checked for anaemia. File. | Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

While accepting that anaemia continues to be a major public health problem in India despite the comprehensive Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) programme, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Delhi, has now invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from the eligible organisations/companies/start-ups manufacturing ‘non-invasive hemoglobinometer’ useful in effective screening of anaemia. 

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While companies are to respond by January 5, the ICMR noted that testing and treatment of anaemia, using digital methods and point of care treatment, with a special focus on pregnant women and on school-going adolescents, is one of the key AMB strategic interventions. 

“The test and treat strategy, for its effective implementation, requires a simple, easy to use non-invasive hemoglobinometer which will be acceptable to all, especially young children. Over the past few years, several ‘Make in India’ non-invasive hemoglobinometer devices have become available. However, these devices need to be validated to establish the accuracy, bias, and precision of the non-invasive point-of-care methods before their use can be recommended in the programme,” it explained.

In India the prevalence of anaemia among six groups as per the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21) is 25.0% in men (15-49 years), 57.0% in women (15-49 years), 31.1% in adolescent boys (15-19 yrs), 59.1 % in adolescent girls, 52.2 % in pregnant women (15-49 years) and 67.1% in children (6-59 months).

“Research on interventions for mitigation/detection of anaemia is, therefore, ICMR’s health research priority. Considering its national importance, ICMR intends to carry out a validation study of such non-invasive hemoglobinometer devices followed by health technology assessment for evaluating its suitability for the AMB programme,” the ICMR organisation said in its EoI.

Explaining its role in the programme, the ICMR said that it would conduct a hospital based clinical study to validate the promising non-invasive hemoglobinometers devices against the gold standard method of haemoglobin measurement.

Additionally, the ICMR would provide technical support through its team of experienced scientists in study planning, product validation, development of study protocol, results/data analysis, outcome assessment, product improvement, etc., if deemed fit upon the mutual understanding between the ICMR and potential collaborators.

The organisation, through its Institutes would provide support and facilitation to conduct the research and development/clinical study of new technology/product in India through its affiliates/institutes, in collaboration with the company/institutions in a professional and mutually agreed-upon manner and timelines, which will be decided later under the agreement.