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Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder that disproportionately affects African populations, with over 75% of global cases found in sub-Saharan Africa. 1 SCD continues to be the most common cause of death for all age groups in the WHO Africa area, accounting for 3.68 deaths per 100 000 people.2 Each year, approximately 300 000 infants are born with SCD in Africa, and as of 2021, there were 12.18 fatalities per 100 000 children before age 5 due to inadequate diagnosis and curative treatment.2 3