Although it requires only a simple blood test, there was often little urgency about screening and diagnosis in the past, even among medical professionals
Most of the global cases of sickle cell disease are diagnosed in African countries. The Economist Intelligence Unit – the research and analysis division of the Economist media group – estimated that in 2020 the total annual cost of treatment and impact on the economy of sickle cell disease across sub-Saharan Africa was US$9.1 billion. This was expected to rise to US$10.2 billion by 2030.
When two individuals with the mutation pass copies of the gene to their child, the child will have sickle cell disease rather than sickle cell trait, and will not have the same resistance to malaria. What measures are in place to manage it? Just a few short decades ago, it was common for children with undiagnosed sickle cell disease to die from severe infections. But these cases are reducing with improvements in research and science. Newborn screening is preferable to testing following symptoms.
Surveillance is conducted routinely in countries like the US, the UK and Jamaica, which have the infrastructure and resources to perform the screening. Partnerships like these use data and cutting-edge technology to allocate resources. They can improve the standard of care and address infrastructural gaps that may hinder the impact of healthcare in some areas. Because sickle cell disease management is complex, it requires partnerships for long term and sustainable projects.
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