Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria -----------A Review

Abstract

Sickle cell disease, a genetically determined disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Nigeria, a country with the highest burden of the disease in the world. Information cited in this article was mainly from published works on this subject in Nigeria and elsewhere. The information was extracted over a period of 5months from May 2015 to September2015, from hard copies of scientific Journals, Google search, Pubmed and Hinari websites. Despite recent advances in the management of this disorder in the developed countries, little has changed in Nigeria. It remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity among children in Nigeria. In conclusion, recent breakthroughs in the management of sickle cell disease such as genetic screening for pre-implantation and prenatal diagnosis, counseling and fetal selection are not readily accessible in Nigeria