Premium
Sickle cell disease in Africa: an overview of the integrated approach to health, research, education and advocacy in Tanzania, 2004–2016
Author(s) -
Tluway Furahini,
Makani Julie
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/bjh.14594
Subject(s) - tanzania , psychological intervention , medicine , disease , intervention (counseling) , child mortality , quality of life (healthcare) , environmental health , economic growth , population , nursing , socioeconomics , pathology , sociology , economics
Summary Sickle cell disease ( SCD ) is the single most important genetic cause of childhood mortality globally. Tanzania has one of the highest annual births of SCD individuals in the world, estimated to reach 11 000 births a year. Without intervention, 50–90% of children will die in childhood. However, cost‐effective interventions have the potential to reduce childhood mortality by up to 70%. The effects of SCD are multi‐dimensional, ranging from causing high morbidity and mortality, and reducing the quality of life, to imposing a high socio‐economic burden on individuals, families and health systems. In the past 12 years, the SCD programme in Tanzania has developed, with local and global partnerships, a systematic framework for comprehensive research that is integrated into providing healthcare, training and advocacy in SCD . This report outlines the approach and achievements of collective initiatives for management and control of SCD in Tanzania.