Hyderabad: Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty and Joint Commissioner Traffic Dr Gajarao Bhupal introduced the official poster for the ‘Run for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)’. They are backing this important public health awareness campaign.
Avinash Mohanty pointed out that while treating SMA is vital, raising awareness and early screening are even more essential. He praised the SCSC Health Forum for organizing the ‘Run for SMA’, highlighting the need for such events due to the high treatment costs. He believes collective efforts like these show a strong commitment to making a positive difference.
Srilakshmi Nalam, Co-founder and Trustee of Cure SMA India, announced the third ‘Run for SMA – 2025’, scheduled for Sunday, 10 August at Gachibowli Stadium. This event is organized by the Cure SMA Foundation of India, a non-profit supporting families affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Srilakshmi emphasized the need for cooperation among medical experts, research groups, businesses, and the government to support families dealing with rare diseases in India. Though treatment options have recently become available in India, their high costs make them unaffordable for most. Thus, she stressed the importance of awareness and prevention, especially through genetic carrier screening, to reduce the disease’s impact on future generations.
‘Run for SMA’ is part of the global SMA Awareness Month, held in August. The event features timed and non-timed running categories—21K, 10K, 5K, and a 5K non-timed run—with attractive cash prizes for various categories.
At the event were Dr Radha Rama Devi, Senior Geneticist and Paediatrician at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Dr Giriraj Chandak, former Chief Scientist at CSIR–CCMB, Naved Alam Khan, CEO of the Society for Cyberabad Security Council, and Cure SMA India trustees Srilakshmi and Archana, along with other representatives.
