Sickle cell anaemia deaths are ‘avoidable’ — study

Our study provides strong impetus for the introduction of vaccination programmes for all children in Africa, a move that will dramatically improve the survival chances of children born with sickle cell anaemia,” said lead researcher Dr Tom Williams, a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow and researcher in tropical medicine at the University of Oxford. “Health policies need to be based on solid evidence such as this research, rather than on rumour and personal preference.”

Medical experts say that studies such as the one conducted at Kilifi will be important in helping poor countries to reduce childhood mortality in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

This is despite the fact that than 70 per cent of child deaths every year are attributable to six causes, namely diarrhoea, malaria, neonatal infection, pneumonia, preterm delivery, and lack of oxygen at birth.

The MDG on mortality, the experts say, will probably not be achieved if other childhood killers such as sickle cell anaemia are not given attention, and resources committed to mitigate their effects.

“To date, sickle cell anaemia has not enjoyed a high priority on African health agendas, despite the relatively high impact it has on childhood mortality, which far exceeds estimates for HIV,” observed Dr Williams. “HIV commands vast attention from the international community, yet sickle cell anaemia is virtually invisible on the international health agenda.”