- Health experts have stressed the need for Kenyans living in the lake, western and coastal areas to undergo critical testing before getting married.
- Health experts say getting tested for sickle cell disease can prevent parents from having a child with the disease.
- Ministry of Health report shows burden of sickle cell disease is high in malaria-endemic areas
Michael Ollinga is a journalist with TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years' experience covering courts, crime, special reports and current events in Kenya.
Health experts are advising Kenyan couples living in the lake, western and coastal regions to get tested for sickle cell disease before getting married.
Source: original
sickle cell disease in kenya
They observed that this test could help reduce the persistence of SCD in bloodlines and subsequently reduce the persistence of SCD within the country and in Africa.
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TUKO.co.ke understands that the advice of health experts is based on the fact that these regions have a high prevalence of SCD.
According to Verywellhealth.com, endemicity is the spread of a disease within an area or population.
Health experts have observed that overlooking the importance of testing for this gene before marriage is leading to an increase in the number of children born with the disease.
Screening for sickle cell disease in Kenya
According to Kenya's policy guidelines for infant screening for sickle cell disease, sickle cell disease affects approximately 100 million people worldwide. This disease is responsible for 50% of deaths in critically ill patients.
According to the document, more than 300,000 children are born with the disease each year, with more than 70% of these births occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
The policy document highlights that 14,000 children are born with sickle cell disease in Kenya each year and the disease contributes to child morbidity and mortality.
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Areas with the highest number of sickle cell anemia cases in Kenya
“The burden of sickle cell disease follows the endemic pattern of malaria in Kenya. High-burden areas include the lakes, western and coastal areas of Kenya. Migration patterns make sickle cell disease more prevalent in urban areas in Kenya. It has also been found in commercial and commercial areas,” the document states.
In a report in The Nation, clinical pathologist Angela Munoko urged couples in areas where sickle cell disease is endemic to get tested for sickle cell disease before getting married or having children.
“If you don't know if you have the sickle hemoglobin gene, you can find out by doing a blood test. We may also do a blood genetic test. This will help you find out if you have the sickle hemoglobin gene. “You can know that, and you can pass that on to your children,” she says.
Health Ministry Secretary Susan Nakmicha said the government had established a policy to test infants for sickle cell disease to reduce deaths.
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Number of deaths due to sickle cell disease in Kenya
A 2023 policy document states that up to 90% of children born with sickle cell disease will barely live to see their fifth birthday if they are not diagnosed and treated within the first few months of life. .
“Numerous studies provide clear evidence that life-threatening early complications of SCD (sepsis, splenic sequestration, and crisis) can be largely avoided if diagnosed early, and that infant This is the basis of our screening policy.
This guideline is an important element to streamline screening for SCD across the health care delivery continuum. This is a strategic element in achieving universal health coverage and ensuring affordable health care,” said Nakmicha.
TUKO.co.ke recently highlighted important tests that Kenyan couples are recommended to undergo before getting married or having children.
Tests include HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, and fertility tests.
Proofread by Nyambura Gutha, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke
Source: TUKO.co.ke
