The Sickle Cell Disease: Why and how it occurs

The sickle cell disease continues to be a global concern as it is estimated that approximately 5% of the world’s population are healthy carriers of a gene for sickle-cell disease. Also, the percentage of people who are carriers of the gene is as high as 25% in some regions.
This great challenge has necessitated many organizations to raise awareness about the disease. For example, the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 established the World Sickle Cell Day in order to increase the awareness about the Sickle Cell Disease and its cure among the general public. The day, however, was celebrated for the first time on 19th June 2009.
Even so, some misconception about the disease still lingers. Notably, it is believed that Sickle Cell Disease is a contagious blood-borne disease. The truth, however, is that the Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic condition present at birth. It is inherited when an offspring receives the sickle cell trait from both parents.
Medical Officer at the Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics (Sickle Cell Clinic), Dr. Grace Naa Amoh has shared why and how the sickle cell disease occurs.
In an interview with Brown Berry on the ‘RyseNShyne’ show aired on YFM, she divulged that it will be unfair to stigmatize sickle cell patients because it is an inherited disease from their parents.
She explained that human blood contains the red blood cells known as haemoglobin which transports protein to parts of the body. She noted that while most people carry two normal genes for haemoglobin, some people carry one normal gene for haemoglobin and one sickle for haemoglobin-a condition she describes as the sickle cell trait. People who then inherit two genes for sickle haemoglobin have the sickle cell disease.
“If you have a population where a high number have the sickle cell traits, what it means is that about 2% of that generation will develop the sickle cell disease”, she noted.
According to her, a lot of people may carry the sickle cell trait while showing no symptoms. She, thus, advised that people should go for blood tests to confirm whether they are carriers of sickle cell traits or not. Dr.Amoh stated that while sickling tests may confirm that one is negative, the most reliable testing is known as “haemoglobin electrophoresis”-a test that can reliably tell whether a person has a sickle cell trait.
She reiterated that all must guard against stigmatizing against people with the sickle cell disease.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah