Hope rises as UK announces ‘life changing’ treatment for sickle cell disease

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has  announced what it described as a “life changing treatment” for sickle cell disease (SCD).

In a statement on Tuesday, the NHS said, “known as Crizanlizumab, the new drug will be delivered by a transfusion drip and works by binding to a protein in the blood cells to prevent the restriction of blood and oxygen supply that lead to a sickle cell crisis”.

The new drug, as gathered, is expected to help persons living with SCD have “a much better quality of life.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), SCD is a major genetic disease where the normal round shape of red blood cells become like crescent moons, leading to blood clots which can cause extreme pain in the back, chest, hands and feet.

It is believed that there is no known cure yet for the disease, except stem cell transplants, a procedure which requires a donor, is expensive, emotionally exhausting and carries fatal risks.

The sickle cell disease (SCD). disease is endemic in Nigeria, possibly more than anywhere in the world.

At least  30 percent of the population are carriers of the sickle cell trait. And almost three percent of Nigerians are living with SCD.

It is considered to be the most common genetic disorder in Nigeria, but testing is not available to the vast majority of infants, leading to thousands of deaths every year.