WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY 2023

The theme for World Sickle Disease Day in 2023 is "Building and Strengthening Global Sickle Cell Communities, Officializing New-Born Screening, and Knowing Your Sickle Cell Disease Status."

World Sickle Cell Day is a day of global awareness that is observed annually on June 19 to raise awareness of sickle cell illness. On this day, numerous local and international organisations band together to promote awareness campaigns and activities that acknowledge the need for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention advice for sickle cell disease.

According to studies, the gene responsible for sickle cell disease developed in Africa thousands of years ago as a defense against malaria, which was the continent's primary cause of mortality at the time. Before the development of Western medicine, sickle cell disease was known by a variety of names in the tribal languages of Africa.

Around six months of age, sickle cell disease symptoms start to show up. They might, however, differ from person to person and evolve with time. Anaemia, pain episodes, hand and foot swelling, recurrent infections, delayed growth or puberty, eyesight issues, and other symptoms are some of the most typical ones.

Sickle cell disease is a chronic condition. Stroke, eye issues, infections, and pain crises are just a few of the significant issues that can result from obstructed blood flow throughout the body. According to the NIH, individuals with sickle cell disease receive one defective copy of the haemoglobin S gene from each parent. When the haemoglobin S gene is inherited from only one parent and the normal haemoglobin gene, haemoglobin A, is inherited from the other, the individual has a sickle cell trait.

Some broad prevention recommendations for sickle cell disease are provided by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People with SCD can take easy precautions to help prevent and lessen the frequency of pain crises, such as the following: Drink a lot of water, and try to avoid becoming too hot or cold.