Sickle cell disease and maternal mortality in Nigeria

Abstract

Sickle cell is a genetic disease of the hemoglobin chain of the red blood cells.1 This genetic disorder is usually inherited from one’s parents.2 As noted by World Health Organization,3 sickle cell anaemia is a common genetic condition due to a haemoglobin disorderinheritance of mutant haemoglobin genes from both parents. Such haemoglobinopathies – thalassaemias and sickle cell anaemia are globally widespread and the public health implications are significant.3 Sickle cell disease can be in several forms which include sickle cell anaemia (when inherited in homozygous state), sickle cell beta plus thalassemia, sickle beta zero thalassemia and others.4 Sickle cell Anaemia is a disease in which the body produces abnormally/sickle shaped blood cells which do not last as long as normal round red blood cells thereby resulting in dizziness, pains and organ damage.5 Sickle cell disease is a common genetic blood disorder that afflict mainly Africans, Brazilians, the Caribbean and Asians.6 In Africa,1 described it as a silent killer and one of the supreme public health issues of this era. Nigeria bears a heavy burden of the disease with 20 to 30 percent prevalence.7,4 In fact, Alhasan (2014) noted that forty million people were carrying the gene for sickle cell disease in Nigeria. The World Health Organization7 also noted that the disease affects 2 percent of Nigerians making it a great public health problem in the country. Owing to the fact that sickle cell is a blood disorder, it is likely to have devastating effects during pregnancy and childbirth. In the same vein,8 noted that pregnancy in sickle cell disease patients is linked with increased risk to both mother and fetus. The incessant maternal deaths among pregnant women living with sickle cell disease had been reported by many scholars,9 Ocheni,10 Ogedengbe & Akinyanju,11,8 These deaths happen frequently in different parts of the countries as attested to by these studies. As such, this mini review becomes significant as it would bring to limelight this enormous public health problem and which may engender effective intervention programme towards reducing maternal mortality among pregnant women living with sickle cell disease.