OneSCD

OneSCD Latest News

Recently, India co-hosted the launch of OneSCD on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York.

About OneSCD

• It is a global partnership to advance equity and transform Sickle Cell Care.
• It is a multilateral coordination mechanism designed to strengthen and support existing country-led Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) programs and help scale proven approaches to care.
• Hosted By: It was hosted by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and co-organized with UNICEF, WHO, Africa CDC, the World Coalition on Sickle Cell Disease, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• It will bring together government leaders, UN agencies, health experts, civil society, and people with lived experience.
• The partnership focuses on strengthening international cooperation and improving access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and continuing care for people affected by Sickle Cell Disease.

Key Facts about Sickle Cell Disease

• It is a group of inherited blood cell disorders that affect hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells (RBCs) that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. 
• The most common and severe type of SCD is sickle cell anemia.
• How Does it Affect Blood Flow?
  • Normally, RBCs are disc-shaped and flexible enough to move easily through the blood vessels.
  • People with SCD have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort RBCs into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
  • When RBCs sickle, they do not bend or move easily and can block blood flow to the rest of the body.
  • The sickle-shaped cells can also stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood.  
  • Causes: The cause of SCD is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.

• Symptoms
  • Signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease usually begin in early childhood. 
  • Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia (low number of RBCs), painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
  • Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
• Treatments: A bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) can cure SCD.
• Gene therapy is also being explored as another potential cure.

Source: News On Air

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