MP Dr C. N. Manjunath to inaugurate Thal Meet 2026 to advance thalassemia care and prevention
Bengaluru: Dr C. N. Manjunath, Member of Parliament from Bangalore Rural, will serve as the Chief Guest at Thal Meet 2026, a national partners’ conclave organised by Sankalp India Foundation to strengthen prevention, care, and cure for thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies.
As Chief Guest, Dr Manjunath will felicitate dignitaries from leading institutions across India and officially release a series of awareness and educational posters for display at Sankalp-supported daycare centres, reinforcing high-quality clinical care practices. In his address to clinicians, program leaders, and institutional partners, he is expected to stress the urgent public health need to prioritise prevention of hemoglobinopathies through systematic antenatal screening, counselling, and early intervention. He has also pledged to raise the issue in parliamentary forums, boosting efforts to integrate carrier screening and preventive services into routine maternal and child health programmes nationwide.
Thal Meet 2026, hosted at the Auditorium, 4th Floor, Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, Vasanth Nagar, will bring together representatives from over twenty partner centres delivering Sankalp’s thalassemia management program, alongside cure and prevention initiatives. The day-long event will feature guided tours of the Sankalp Thalassemia Day Care Centre, Sankalp Blood Centre, child care facilities, and the Bone Marrow Transplant unit, coupled with technical sessions, impact stories, and structured case discussions. Participants will witness how disciplined day care practices, robust blood systems, centralised laboratory support, and psychosocial care improve outcomes for children and adults living with transfusion-dependent disorders.
A major focus will be on the role of strong thalassemia day care centres in ensuring good hemoglobin levels, optimised chelation, regular monitoring, and counselling, preparing families for long-term management and potential bone marrow transplants. Updates on Sankalp’s transplant work and expanding prevention initiatives, including integration of antenatal screening into district health systems, will be shared. A dedicated “Partners’ Roadmap and Experience Sharing” session will allow institutions to reflect on their operational challenges, co-create strategies, and strengthen community awareness and referral pathways.
The event will conclude with a symbolic “Tree of Commitment”, translating the visibility and support brought by Dr Manjunath’s presence into tangible system-level advances in the management, prevention, and cure of hemoglobinopathies in India.
