Why access to stem cell transplants is out of reach for many thalassemia patients in India

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

India carries the world's most significant burden of thalassemia, with an estimated 150,000 patients and 12,000 new cases every year. While medical science continues to advance and success rates after hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) have increased globally as a potential cure for thalassemia, far too many Indian families still lack access to this life-saving treatment. The barriers are not just medical, but they are deeply rooted in systemic inequities, beginning with the first step—Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA). Thalassemia
HLAs are proteins on the surface of cells that play a crucial role in the body's immune system. They act like identification tags, allowing the immune system to distinguish between the body's cells and foreign invaders, such as bacteria or viruses.
Managing thalassemia requires lifelong care that puts patient and their family into an immense financial hardship. Patients undergo regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy.
India is the thalassemia capital of the world, with a thalassemia burden of around 150,000 patients and an incidence of approximately 12,000 every year. The recurring cost of ongoing optimal patient management varies between ₹100,000 and ₹120,000 per year. This is not affordable for most Indian families, as the estimated per capita Net National Income (NNI) of India is ₹126,000 ($ 1732). The permanent curative treatment option of HSCT is not well known in India. However, current experience worldwide indicates that more than 90% of patients now survive HSCT, and disease-free survival rates are around 80%. A significant challenge to accessing blood stem cell transplant is the associated costs, as most of the payment for HSCT is out of pocket.
The Indian government is supporting ongoing patient needs through a national-level blood safety policy and the institutionalisation of state-level blood availability for patients' monthly blood transfusions and iron chelation medicines. It is also encouraging the public and private sectors to support transplant costs for poor patients as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Some states have state-level schemes to help patients with thalassemia and HSCT expenses. Thus, eligible poor patients opting for an HSCT can avail themselves of funding support from Government schemes, CSR funds, and other donations. However, these funds do not cover the costs of high-resolution HLA typing, which is the initial step in the medical assessment for an HSCT.
Several global and national non-profit organisations—working towards giving patients suffering from thalassemia a second chance at life—have launched initiatives to address this gap. The initiatives include free or subsidised high-re HLA typing for families from low-income backgrounds. Such programmes are designed to enable transplant centres, NGOs, and hospitals to work in close collaboration across India.
Through these initiatives, tools such as awareness drives and campaigns have also been conducted in urban and semi-urban areas to educate families about the potential cure and facilitate early intervention.
These efforts have led to thousands of families receiving free HLA typing, and in numerous--instances, access to donor searches through worldwide stem cell registries when no familial match was found. We have also adopted collaborative models that not only assist Indian patients but also extend support to neighbouring countries, such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, demonstrating the regional need for cross-border medical cooperation.
Despite this advancement, large-scale systemic difficulties persist. Transplants are resource-intensive procedures that necessitate robust infrastructure, a diverse donor registry pool, donor availability, and post-transplant care. All of which demand significant public health investment. Without the wide-ranging inclusion of diagnostic tools, such as high-res HLA typing and blood stem cell transplants, in government-funded healthcare plans, treatment remains a luxury for the few rather than a right for all.
The cost of a match should not be borne only by the patient or their family. It must be viewed as a shared responsibility across sectors, including government, healthcare institutions, civil society, and corporate partners alike. Only then can equitable access to curative options and care become a grounded reality for every child born with thalassemia, regardless of their socio-economic background.
This article is authored by Dr Nitin Agarwal, MD, Transfusion Medicine, HOD-Donor Request Management, DKMS Foundation India.