Bhubaneswar, Feb. 22: The 3rd Global Congress on Sickle Cell Disease started in the city today with a resolve to find solutions for those suffering with the disease.

More than 500 delegates from India and abroad, including clinicians, patients, scientists, government representatives, health policy-makers, non-governmental organisations and advocacy groups, have converged here to give a global push to the fight against the genetic disorder.

Global Sickle Cell Disease Network medical director Isaac Odame said the idea was to act as a catalyst to speed up initiation of diagnosis, treatment and support mechanisms for the patients. There is a need to identify each and every patient and provide care and opportunities to them, so that they can lead a productive life.

The first global conference on sickle cell disease had been held in Atlanta, in collaboration with the Centre for Disease Control, USA, in 2012. The second event was organised in Rio de Janeiro. The third edition of the event in Bhubaneswar holds special significance for stimulating action against the disease since it is quite prevalent in the state.

"Many people do not have access to diagnosis and treatment and are dying without care. Over 90 per cent children born with the disease live in high-income countries, while the prevalence of the disease among the people of low-income group hover around 10 to 15 per cent. A lot of conferences and meetings are taking place everywhere, but action is minimal. This conference strives to shift to translating policies into action," said Odame.

Delegates stressed on innovation to translate the decisions and solutions into action on the ground. "As we have interactions with multi-sector stakeholder engagement, we should keep in mind the outcomes directly impact patients in improving their lives," the medical director reiterated.

In the session, co-chairperson of the organising committee and professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Kalpana Gupta said the conference sought to prioritise health care for the patients with sickle cell disease in the most deprived and low-resource regions by developing partnerships on a global scale.

"It will help develop strategies to improve pre-natal and ante-natal care, optimise treatment strategies and train future generations. For the first time, a special session with patients is being held in the conference. The effort is made to empower patients through direct engagement to improve their lives," said Gupta.

According to an Indian Council of Medical Research report, about 34 per cent people of some regions of the state carry the genetic disorder in their blood. Keeping the figure in mind, the conference would focus on to ensure effective control measures at the public level to help reduce the rising burden of the disease in the state. The conference will conclude on Friday.