…Report unveils stark toll of childhood blood disorder across nation
Nigeria has emerged as the country with the highest burden of sickle cell disease globally, with more than 1.5 million children under the age of 15 living with the condition, according to a new international study.
The findings, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, underscore the scale of the public health challenge confronting Africa’s most populous nation and the urgent need for coordinated interventions.
The study estimates that nearly nine million children across sub Saharan Africa were living with the inherited blood disorder in 2023, including over one million infants and about 2.75 million children under five, the group most vulnerable to early death without treatment.
Nigeria accounts for the largest share of this burden, far outpacing countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia, further highlighting its central role in shaping Africa’s response to the disease.
Led by Davies Adeloye, a Professor of Public Health at Teesside University and Director of the International Society of Global Health, the research analysed data from 40 studies spanning 22 African countries.
Sickle cell disease, an inherited condition present at birth, can be effectively managed with early diagnosis and access to basic interventions such as newborn screening, vaccinations, malaria prevention, penicillin prophylaxis and hydroxyurea therapy.
However, access to these life saving services remains limited in Nigeria, where many children are diagnosed only after severe complications, while a significant number remain undetected entirely.
Adeloye warned that Nigeria now sits at the heart of a global health emergency but stressed that proven and affordable solutions already exist within reach of the country’s health system.
He noted that prioritising newborn screening and integrating sickle cell care into routine maternal and child health services could dramatically reduce preventable deaths and improve survival outcomes.
The study called for urgent action, including expanded screening programmes, improved access to essential medicines and stronger investment in primary healthcare systems, insisting that even modest gains could save hundreds of thousands of young lives.