NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1-Kenya is stepping up efforts to detect sickle cell disease in infants as the government seeks to close gaps in diagnosis and treatment for an estimated 250,000 people living with the condition across the country.

📻 Breaking It Down

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said universal infant screening, reliable access to treatment and stronger referral systems will be critical to ensuring children born with sickle cell disease receive care early enough to improve their quality and length of life.

About 14,000 children affected by sickle cell disease are born in Kenya each year, according to the Ministry of Health.

Speaking in Nairobi during the opening of the three-day Global Sickle Cell Disease Conference, Duale said the government was expanding screening, strengthening comprehensive care and training health workers to support early diagnosis and continuity of treatment.

📌 What You Need to Know

“Kenya’s ambition must go beyond survival; every person living with sickle cell disease must thrive,” Duale said.

The conference, organised by the Global Alliance of Sickle Cell Disease Organizations (GASCDO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Sickle Cell Federation of Kenya, is bringing together stakeholders to assess progress and address gaps in sickle cell care.

Duale said the burden of the disease was particularly high in the Lake Victoria region, Western Kenya and the Coast, but warned that sickle cell disease had become a national health and equity concern.

He said access to quality care should not be determined by a child’s place of birth or the ability of their family to pay.

Kenya has incorporated sickle cell screening into its broader maternal and child health programmes following the 2023 infant screening policy.

The policy has also been incorporated into the Mother and Child Health Booklet.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya