Curative options for sickle cell disease in Africa: Approach in Tanzania.

There is an urgent need to develop a strategy for curative options for sickle cell disease (SCD) in Africa as this is a disease of public health significance. It is common [84% of 14 million children born (2010-2050) in the world are in Africa]; survival in Africa is reported to be low however with interventions, childhood survival can reach between 50% and 90%. Tanzania, a low-middle income country, has 11,000 children born every year and estimates that at least 14,700 deaths in under five years old are due to SCD. Tanzania had an existing dedicated sickle cell clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital, established in the 1980s. In 2004, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) established a research programme that integrated improving health services, advocacy and training and enrolled 5,466 patients. In 2016, sickle cell services strengthened in other health facilities. As part of the strategy for healthcare, the Sickle Cell Programme worked with the Ministry of Health to develop recommendations for comprehensive care at different levels of health care. Most countries in Africa wanted to ensure that comprehensive care was available before putting in place curative therapy such as Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transp...Continue Reading