Highlights
- Sickle Cell Disease patients often suffers from psychosocial illness.
- Societal support may improve the psychological well-being of SCD
patients.
- Family, teachers, self-help group, traditional healers, genetic
counsellors may act as support system.
- By Self-empowerment SCD patients may overcome with psychosocial
illness.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disease caused by a mutation in
the HBB gene (HBB:c.20A>T) located on chromosome 11 and
affects the structure of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen
throughout the body. This abnormal hemoglobin polymerizes during the
physiological stress and increased requirement of oxygen leading to
change of shape of the red blood cell from round shape to sickle shape.
Abnormal sickle shape erythrocyte alters the normal blood flow in small
vessel leading to ischemia and reperfusion injury and acute painful
crisis1 .
It is estimated that 3,00,000 infants are born with SCD
annually2 , off which India contributes to
approximately 44,000 birth of SCD3 . The
prevalence of SCD is higher in countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Middle
East, central America and South East Asia. Three countries (India,
Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria) shoulder half of the global
burden of SCD across the globe and therefore SCD is a public health
concern. In India, high prevalence of SCD has been observed in the
underprivileged and marginalized populations (Schedule Tribes and
Schedule Castes)4.