New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS): The government will launch a programme in a mission mode to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, announced Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 in the Parliament on Wednesday.

"A mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 will be launched that will entail awarness creation, universal screening of 7 crore people in age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas, and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments," she said.

The Finance Minister further announced that the facilities in select ICMR labs will be made available for research by public and private medical college faculty, and private sector research teams for encouraging collaborative research and innovation.

She announced that the new programme to promote research and innovation in pharmaceuticals will be taken up through centres of excellence and the industry will also be encouraged to invest in research and development in priority areas.

"Dedicated multidisciplinary courses for medical devices will be made available in institutions to ensure skilled manpower for futuristic medical tech and high end manufacturing and research," she added

"As many as 157 new nursing colleges will be established in the core locations," Sitharaman announced.