Obi Ogbonnia Sickle Cell Foundation

The term "sickle cell disease" (SCD) refers to a group of grave chronic sickle haemoglobin disorders that can impact any part of the body. About 2-3% of the 210 million Nigerians are affected by this genetic disease, which is among the most prevalent in the world in both the double (SS) and SC variants.  A class of hereditary red blood cell diseases is known as sickle cell disease. Normal red blood cells are round, resembling doughnuts, and they carry oxygen throughout the body through tiny blood vessels. Red blood cells with sickle shape harden, become sticky, and resemble wheat-cutting sickles. These sharp, hard red blood cells clog blood channels and shatter as they pass through them. Anaemia, or low blood count, can result in periods of bone pain as well as pain and injury. Haemoglobin, the red blood component of blood that transports oxygen into and out of tissues, is altered in the disorder. In contrast to healthy red blood cells, sickle cells are unable to perform their essential function of transporting oxygen into and out of organs. Haemoglobin forms lengthy rods in the red cell when it releases oxygen due to a little alteration at the B6 location of the beta chain. The red cell's spherical form is changed to a sickle shape by these stiff rods. Sickle red blood cells have a limited lifespan of 20 to 52 days due to continuous breakdown.