About Sickle Forward

At Sickle Forward, we understand the critical importance of bringing rapid screening for Sickle Cell Disease to resource-limited settings around the world! A child diagnosed through these screening efforts cab be started on low cost and highly effective treatments that have the ability to drastically improve their survival.

Early Diagnosis is the Key to Saving Lives!

About SCD in Africa

Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited disorder of the red blood cell, with over 5 million affected individuals across continental Africa. Due to the selective pressure of the malaria parasite, the majority of individuals with SCD live in equatorial areas where malaria is endemic such as Africa, South America, and India.

The disease is caused by an abnormality in the hemoglobin protein that triggers the red blood cells to change into a moon (sickle) shape when they are stressed by lack of oxygen, temperature changes, infection, and other factors. This shape change leads to blockage of the flow of blood and oxygen to various parts of the body and results in both acute and chronic complications. While bone pain is often thought to be the hallmark of the disease, the damaging complications can occur in every organ and every part of the body. Untreated, the disease leads to recurrent complications and early death. It is expected that 50-80% of untreated children in Africa will die before their 5th birthday. The first step in treating the disease is diagnosing the affected newborn. After diagnosis, there are low-cost and highly effective treatments that can be started in order to save lives!