The Uganda Sickle Surveillance Study introduced a simple yet innovative approach to screening infants for sickle cell disease – the most prevalent genetic disorder in the world, and a cause of anemia. Researchers used residual dried blood spots, collected for the Early Infant Diagnosis program for HIV from ten regions and 112 districts throughout Uganda, to determine the prevalence of the sickle cell condition. This type of integrated screening program offers a promising opportunity for an improved and timelier diagnosis of sickle cell in other sub-Saharan African countries, where early infant screening programs are already in place.
The Lancet Global Health. 2016