Sickle cell disease is by far the most common inherited blood disorder (IBD) worldwide. It is caused by a variation in the gene that codes for haemoglobin, the protein in our red blood cells that helps carry oxygen around the body. The altered protein found in people with sickle-cell disease is called haemoglobin S and occurs in people who have inherited the haemoglobin S (HbS) gene from both parents.
Individuals who have inherited the HbS gene from only one parent are carriers of the gene but usually do not have the disease itself. Carriers with just one copy of the HbS gene are more tolerant of malaria infection, making them more likely to survive the disease.
The symptoms of sickle-cell disease are serious, substantially reducing life expectancy and often requiring intensive treatment throughout the patient’s life. Sickle-cell disease is most common in Africa where expensive treatment options are often not available and resources need to be carefully targeted.
Our aim is to provide spatial intelligence on the distribution of the HbS gene so that we can provide estimates of the burden of this disorder. We have created historical and up-to-date maps showing the distribution of the HbS gene and we provide estimates of the numbers of newborns who have inherited the haemoglobin S (HbS) gene from either or both parents.