Saving Sickle Cell Lives

Saving Sickle Cell Lives It is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with an adjusted net annual per capita income of $781. One in 13 children dies before their fifth birthday.

I started a program that helps 4 hospitals in Haiti � including newborn screening , medications and to screen children with sickle cell anemia for risk of stroke
However these funds are limited to a specific group of children so extra help is needed Saving Lives of Children with Sickle Cell Anemia in Haiti

The Need

Haiti has a population of over 10 million people, the vast majority of whom are d

escendants of people from West Africa. It is a tragedy and arguably a moral outrage when children die needlessly. Sadly, children with sickle cell anemia are dying needlessly in Haiti, which has a high prevalence of this inherited disease. In Haiti, until now, a sense of fatalism concerning sickle cell anemia has become a self-fulfilling prophecy – children with sickle cell anemia rarely survive infancy. Ironically, they die of an infectious complication of their disease that could be easily prevented – pneumonia. There ought to be about many patients with sickle cell anemia in Haiti and it is calculated that about 1600 new children are born every year with this disease. In reality, they are rarely seen because of the elevated childhood mortality. The Opportunity
In 2016, for the first time ever, Haiti will launch a vaccine campaign against the germ which causes pneumonia. This means that Haiti’s children with sickle cell anemia will have a chance of survival. However, Haiti’s doctors and nurses have received no training in how to screen for, diagnose or treat sickle cell anemia or its complications. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has operated sickle cell centers in Miami for decades. In addition, in partnership with Haitian and American nongovernmental organizations has a two-decade track record of success in working with Haitian health providers to improve the health of the Haitian people. We, therefore, have the capacity to train Haitian doctors and nurses and to institute pilot programs to screen, diagnose and treat children with sickle cell anemia. We are looking for organizations and individuals of goodwill who would like to join in this cause. For further information, please contact Dr. Ofelia Alvarez ([email protected]) or call the Pediatric Advancement Office at 305-243-3956.

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1600 NW 10th Avenue #1140
Miami, FL
33136

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Saving Lives of Children with Sickle Cell Anemia in Haiti The Need Sickle cell anemia is a chronic blood disease that affects people of African descent and Latinos. It is a congenital condition (people are born with it). Sickle cell anemia (also called sickle cell disease) gives many complications including recurrent pain and risk of infections. We have about 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease in the United States. The way to diagnose sickle cell disease is by doing a blood test. Newborn screening is an excellent way of making the diagnosis. In the United States, newborn screening is done routinely since the 1980’s.

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Sickle Cell Center is the main center in South Florida for the care of children and adults for sickle cell disease. We serve a large patient population of individuals with sickle cell disease, offering comprehensive clinical care, outstanding cutting-edge clinical research, and playing a role in patient advocacy.

The University of Miami Pediatric Sickle Cell Program is trying to help Haiti because sickle cell disease affects Haitians too. Currently, there is no large sustainable programs for newborn screening in Haiti. Haiti has a population of over 10 million people, the vast majority of whom are descendants of people from West Africa. It is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with an adjusted net annual per capita income of $781. One in 13 Haitian children dies before their fifth birthday. The death risk is much higher for children who are born with sickle cell disease if they are not identified by newborn screening. It is estimated that about 1,600 children are born every year with this disease in Haiti. Not many of them will survive early childhood unless they are diagnosed and treated. The Opportunity The way we are able to help children born with sickle cell disease is by diagnosing them early at the time of newborn screening. These children should be treated with penicillin and receive childhood immunizations including Prevnar 13 to prevent Strep pneumonia infection. Currently, many families in Haiti cannot afford Prevnar 13 which costs over $100 American dollars.

We began a Newborn Screening Program in Haiti in August 2017. Our Newborn Screening Program is located at the Hospital Universitaire Justinien in Cap Haitien. We diagnose children with sickle cell disease and pay for penicillin, Prevnar 13 and the necessary medical follow up. Without your help, it will be difficult to continue our mission.