Sickle Cell Disease Effecting the World

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) affects millions of people throughout the world and is particularly common among those whose ancestors came from Sub-Saharan Africa, Spanish-speaking regions in the Western Hemisphere (South America, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands), Saudi Arabia, India, and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

It is estimated that:

•  SCD affects 90,000 to 100,000 Americans.

•  SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 500 Black or African-American births.

•  SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 36,000 Hispanic-American births.

•  SCT occurs among about 1 in 12 Blacks or African Americans.

•  During 2005, medical expenditures for children with SCD averaged $11,702 for children with Medicaid coverage and $14,772 for children with employer-sponsored insurance. About 40% of both groups had at least one hospital stay. People with SCD also recieve less comprehensive care.

SCD is a major public health concern. From 1989 through 1993, an average of 75,000 hospitalizations due to SCD occurred in the United States, costing approximately $475 million.