Sickle Cell Anemia

Introduction

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common life-threatening non-communicable disease in children and an increasing burden on health care systems and families in West Africa where most of these children die before adolescence. It has been estimated that if children with SCD reach only half of the African life expectancy norm, there will be 6 million cases.

SCD is a neglected cause of high early childhood mortality rate in Africa, estimated at 50-90%.

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is the only established cure, with success rates over 90% in cases with a compatible family donor. It improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and is cost-effective, and it is thus justified medically, ethically and economically. Moreover, the cure of SCD may represent a unique opportunity to empower tertiary health care and higher medical education.

We have a powerful team of consultants and BMT experts. Dr. Pietro Sodani, Dr. Lawrence Faulkner and Dr. Edward Dela Ziga are our Medical Directors.

Dr Pietro Sodani and Dr. Lawrence Faulkner from our team are leading BMT experts for hemoglobinopathies, and both contribute greatly to the battle for the cure of sickle cell anemia today.

See  glossary  and  Introduction to Bone Marrow Transplantation at MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).