June 19 : World Sickle Cell Awareness Day
Why in news
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) remains a formidable challenge in the landscape of global health, particularly in places like India, where its burden is significant, particularly among tribal populations
SCD affects 20 million people worldwide. India grapples with a formidable challenge posed by SCD, with millions affected
Sickle cell anemia
Sickle cell disease (SCD), also simply called sickle cell, is a group of hemoglobin-related blood disorders typically inherited.
The most common type is known as sickle cell anemia.
It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blood cells.
This leads to a rigid, sickle-like shape under certain circumstances.
Problems in sickle cell disease typically begin around 5 to 6 months of age.
A number of health problems may develop, such as attacks of pain (known as a sickle cell crisis) in joints, anemia, swelling in the hands and feet, bacterial infections, dizziness and stroke.
It often gets worse with age.
All the major organs are affected by sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the β-globin gene (HBB) that makes haemoglobin, one from each parent.
This gene occurs in chromosome 11.
Several subtypes exist, depending on the exact mutation in each haemoglobin gene
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