{"id":74529,"date":"2026-05-22T18:04:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T12:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=74529"},"modified":"2026-05-22T18:06:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T12:36:03","slug":"ummid-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-05-2026\/ummid-programme","title":{"rendered":"UMMID (Unique Methods of Management of Inherited Disorders) Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Minister for Science and Technology dedicated the <strong>UMMID (Unique Methods of Management of Inherited Disorders)<\/strong> Programme for Rare Genetic Disorders to the nation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the UMMID Programme<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an initiative of the <strong>Department of Biotechnology (DBT)<\/strong> aimed at improving diagnosis and management of rare genetic disorders in India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The programme seeks to make <strong>diagnosis, screening and counselling<\/strong> for inherited disorders more <strong>affordable, accessible and widely available.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The initiative also supports <strong>clinician training and institutional capacity-building<\/strong> in genetic healthcare.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government launched the <strong>UMMID Dashboard<\/strong> and released the<strong> UMMID Compendium<\/strong> to strengthen nationwide monitoring, diagnostics and outreach services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are Rare Genetic Disorders?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rare genetic disorders are diseases that occur due to <strong>abnormalities or mutations in genes or chromosomes.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rare genetic disorders are <strong>generally inherited from parents<\/strong> and may affect <strong>physical, neurological, metabolic or developmental functions.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Although<strong> each individual disorder affects a small number of people<\/strong>, collectively rare diseases impose a major public health burden worldwide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Causes of Rare Genetic Disorders:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Inherited mutations in gene<\/strong>s are one of the major causes of rare genetic disorders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chromosomal abnormalities<\/strong> can lead to developmental and inherited disorders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Examples:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sickle Cell Disease<\/strong> is a hereditary blood disorder that affects the shape and functioning of red blood cells.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Thalassemia<\/strong> is an inherited blood disorder that reduces the body\u2019s ability to produce healthy haemoglobin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hemophilia <\/strong>is a genetic disorder that impairs the blood clotting process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy <\/strong>is a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)<\/strong> is a rare inherited disease that damages nerve cells controlling muscle movement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges Associated with Rare Genetic Disorders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Delayed Diagnosis: <\/strong>Lack of awareness and inadequate genetic testing facilities delays the diagnosis of rare diseases.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many patients spend several years consulting multiple doctors before receiving accurate diagnosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High Cost of Treatment:<\/strong> Treatment and gene therapies for rare diseases are expensive and unaffordable for most families.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dependence on imported medicines further increases healthcare expenditure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited Healthcare Infrastructure: <\/strong>India has a limited number of specialised centres for genetic diagnosis and counselling.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Advanced healthcare facilities<\/strong> for rare diseases are concentrated mainly in urban areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shortage of Skilled Professionals:<\/strong> India faces a shortage of trained genetic counsellors, clinicians and genomic researchers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Burden: <\/strong>Families affected by rare diseases often face emotional stress, social stigma and financial hardship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited Research and Data:<\/strong> Lack of comprehensive data and disease registries affects effective policymaking and research. Rare diseases receive comparatively lower investment in scientific research and drug development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD), 2021: <\/strong>The National Policy for Rare Diseases provides a framework for prevention and management of rare diseases in India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The policy supports financial assistance<\/strong> for treatment of selected rare diseases requiring one-time therapies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): <\/strong>Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram provides early screening and intervention services for children with birth defects and developmental disorders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission: <\/strong>The Government of India aims to eliminate sickle cell anaemia as a public health problem by <strong>2047.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India should expand<strong> newborn and prenatal screening programmes<\/strong> across all states and districts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government should <strong>establish more specialised centres <\/strong>for genetic diagnosis and counselling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greater investment is needed in <strong>biotechnology research, genome sequencing and indigenous therapies.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/union-minister-dr-jitendra-singh-dedicates-ummid-network-to-the-nation-at-a-function-in-new-delhi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Union Minister for Science and Technology dedicated the UMMID (Unique Methods of Management of Inherited Disorders) Programme for Rare Genetic Disorders to the nation. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About the UMMID Programme <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It is an initiative of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) aimed at improving diagnosis and management of rare genetic disorders in India. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The programme seeks to make diagnosis, screening and counselling for inherited disorders more affordable, accessible and widely available. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-05-2026\/ummid-programme \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74529"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74533,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74529\/revisions\/74533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}