This is despite the fact that with diagnosis and early interventions, we can improve health outcomes, reduce child mortality, and support countries with their sustainable development goals.Īlso, despite its prevalence, the majority of infants are not screened for SCD in Africa due to limited laboratory capacity, awareness of the disease, and domestic funding. However, many do not live past the age of five because they lack access to testing, comprehensive clinical care, and early intervention programs.Įxperts posit that the SCD is taking many young lives as the inherited blood disorder, that affects red blood cells, is often not diagnosed or treated.
With the goal of screening 10,000 to 16,000 newborns in each country every year for the next five yearsĪccording to the World Health Organisation (WHO), each year, more than 300,000 babies in sub-Saharan Africa are born with sickle cell disease (SCD). Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that to tackle this, the American Society of Hematology is partnering governments, hospitals, industry partners, and organisations in Africa to build initiatives to improve the long-term health of children with SCD
Annually, more than 300,000 babies in sub-Saharan Africa are born with sickle cell disease but many do not live past the age of five because they lack access to testing, comprehensive clinical care, and early intervention programs.