Counseling
Clinical Services
Outreaches
Research
Raising awareness, provide education, support research efforts, improve access to healthcare services, and advocate for policies that enhance the quality of life for individuals living with sickle cell disease on the continent. This mission encompasses a holistic approach that addresses various aspects of the disease, including medical care, social support, community engagement, and public health interventions.
To create a future where individuals affected by the condition can live healthy and fulfilling lives. This vision includes reducing the burden of sickle cell disease through early detection, comprehensive care management, genetic counseling, and advancements in treatment options. Additionally, the vision aims to promote a supportive environment that empowers individuals with sickle cell disease to thrive and contribute positively to society.
Empowering a comprehensive response to sickle cell disease in Africa, through awareness creation, education dissemination, research facilitation, healthcare access enhancement, policy advocacy, and holistic support, encompassing medical care, social support, community engagement, and public health interventions, to improve the quality of life for individuals affected.
Join us in empowering a brighter future for individuals affected by sickle cell disease. Together, we can make a difference through awareness, education, research, and support. Let us unite to enhance the quality of life and promote a sickle cell-free continent.
Executive Director
Deputy Executive Director
Program Officer
Outreach and advocacy Officer
Counsellor
IT Officer
Board Chairman
Vice Chairperson
Board Secretary
Board Treasure
Member
Head of Quality Assurance
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's tissues. It causes red blood cells to be sickle-shaped, rigid, and prone to clotting, leading to various complications.
Symptoms include:
- Anemia (fatigue, pale skin)
- Episodes of pain (sickle cell crisis)
- Frequent infections
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Delayed growth and development
- Increased risk of stroke and organ damage
Sickle cell disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning:
- A person inherits two copies of the sickle cell gene (one from each parent)
- Carriers with one copy of the gene are generally healthy but can pass it to their
children
- If both parents are carriers, there's a 25% chance of having a child with sickle cell
disease
ICurrently, there is no cure for sickle cell disease, but: - Bone marrow transplants have shown promise - Gene therapy research is ongoing - Management and treatment focus on relieving symptoms, preventing complications, and improving quality of life
Management includes:
- Regular medical care and monitoring
- Pain management and crisis prevention
- Antibiotics for infections
- Blood transfusions
- Hydroxyurea therapy to reduce sickling
- Lifestyle modifications (staying hydrated, avoiding stress)
Geneticists use the terms dominant and recessive to describe the likelihood of a particular trait being passed on to the next generation. You have two copies of each of your genes one from your mother and another from your father. Each copy of a gene is called an allele. You may receive a dominant allele from each parent, a recessive allele from each parent, or one of each. Dominant alleles usually override recessive alleles, hence their name. For example, if you inherit a recessive allele from your father and a dominant one from your mother, you’ll usually display the trait associated with the dominant allele. The sickle cell anemia trait is found on a recessive allele of the hemoglobin gene. This means that you must have two copies of the recessive allele one from your mother and one from your father to have the condition. People who have one dominant and one recessive copy of the allele won’t have sickle cell anemia.
