Couples In 3 Kenyan Regions Asked To Screen For Sickle Cell Disease Before Marriage, Getting Babies

• Health experts have emphasised that Kenyans living in the lake, western and coastal regions need to undergo an important test before getting married
• According to health experts, undergoing sickle cell disease tests will shield parents from giving birth to children with the disease
• A Ministry of Health report shows that the sickle cell disease burden is significant in endemic malaria areas

Michael Ollinga is a journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years of experience covering courts and crimes, special reports, and current affairs in Kenya.

Health experts have advised Kenyan couples living in the lake, western, and coastal regions to undergo sickle cell disease tests before getting married.

Sickle cell disease in Kenya

They observed that this test is instrumental in reducing the continuation of SCD in lineages and subsequently in the country and Africa.

TUKO.co.ke understands that the health experts' advice is based on the fact that these regions are highly endemic to SCD.

According to Verywellhealth.com, an endemic is the prevalence of a disease within a region or population group.

The health experts observed that overlooking the importance of testing for the gene before marriage has contributed to the increased number of children being born with the disease.

Sickle cell disease screening in Kenya

According to Kenya’s policy guidelines on infant screening for sickle cell disease, the disease affects about 100 million people globally. It is responsible for 50% of deaths among those with the severe form of the condition.

The document indicates that over 300,000 children are born with the disease annually, with over 70% of these births happening in sub-Saharan Africa.

The policy paper highlights that 14,000 children are born with sickle cell disease in Kenya annually, with the condition contributing to child morbidity and mortality.

Areas with most cases of sickle cell disease in Kenya

“The sickle cell disease burden follows malaria endemic patterns in Kenya. The high-burden areas include the lake and the western and coastal regions in Kenya. Due to migration patterns, sickle cell is also found in Kenya's urban and commercialised areas,” the document states.

In a report by Nation, clinical pathologist Angela Munoko called on couples in sickle cell disease endemic areas to be screened for the disease before getting married or having children.

“If you do not know whether you make sickle haemoglobin, you can find out by having your blood tested. You may also have a genetic test done on your blood. This way, you can learn whether you carry a gene for sickle haemoglobin that you could pass on to your child,” she said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said the government had established the policy to screen sickle cell disease among infants to help reduce deaths.

Sickle Cell Disease Deaths in Kenya

The 2023 policy paper shows that up to 90% of children born with sickle cell disease hardly live to see their fifth birthday if it is not diagnosed and treated within the early months of birth.

“Numerous studies provide clear evidence that life-threatening early complications of SCD (sepsis, splenic sequestration, and crisis) can be largely avoided if the diagnosis is made early, hence forming the basis of the policy on screening of infants.

The guideline is a critical ingredient for streamlining the screening of SCD across the entire health services provision continuum. It is a strategic component in achieving universal health coverage and securing affordable health care,” Nakhumicha stated.

TUKO.co.ke recently covered the important tests that Kenyan couples are advised to undergo before getting married or having children.

The tests include HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, and fertility tests, among others.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke