The Ministry of Health, with support from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), on Monday, August 11, convened a national stakeholder validation meeting to review and validate the Draft National Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Screening and Case Management Guidelines.

The draft guidelines, developed through months of technical consultations with the Sickle Cell Disease Technical Working Group, outline a coordinated, tiered approach to early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care. This includes newborn screening, genetic counselling, hydroxyurea therapy, management of acute complications, and strong referral and monitoring systems.

Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno, Director of Allied Health, highlighted the urgent need to strengthen Sickle Cell Disease prevention and care, noting that Ghana records between 15,000 and 20,000 new SCD births annually.

He emphasized that the guidelines would provide an evidence-based, context-specific, and equitable framework to ensure no patient is left behind. Speaking on behalf of the Director General and the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of the Public Health Division, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to integrating and prioritizing SCD services in the health services delivery and urged stakeholders to share inputs that will make the guidelines practical and impactful.

On behalf of the Country Director of CHAI, Ms. Pelumi Okuyemi reiterated the organization’s technical assistance support in developing the guidelines and its commitment to working with the Ministry and GHS to ensure effective and wider SCD care and management.

Participants engaged in guided review sessions, group work, and plenary discussions to ensure the final guidelines are operationally feasible, globally aligned, and tailored to Ghana’s health system.

The meeting was chaired by Professor Alex Osei Akoto, Associate Professor at the Department of Child Health, KNUST-SMS, and Head of the Sickle Cell Disease Unit at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is a group of autosomal recessive haemoglobin disorders that results from a gene mutation in the β-subunit of haemoglobin.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is a common inherited condition worldwide, affecting 7.74 million people.

"SCD is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, and causes a significant disease burden in other historically malaria-endemic regions of Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and South Asia. SCD also affects people in many other countries. Women who live with SCD are at higher risk for pregnancy complications," the WHO adds.

WHO's facts about haemoglobin disorders

It is estimated that each year over 300 000 babies with severe forms of these diseases are born worldwide, the majority in low and middle income countries.

Approximately 5% of the world’s population are healthy carriers of a gene for sickle-cell disease or thalassaemia. The percentage of people who are carriers of the gene is as high as 25% in some regions.

These conditions are most prevalent in tropical regions; however population migration has spread these diseases to most countries.

Thalassaemias are the most common in Asia, the Mediterranean basin, and the Middle East.

Sickle-cell disease predominates in Africa.

Prior to the August 11 meeting, the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and with technical support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, convened on August 8, under the AYA Integrated Healthcare Initiative, a high-level stakeholder validation workshop on the revised national guidelines for the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Accra.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders from across the health sector, including policymakers, clinicians, health sector partners, civil society, and academia, to review and validate the revised 2019 national guidelines. These updated guidelines aim to equip healthcare providers with clear, evidence-based protocols for the prevention, early diagnosis, and effective management of CVDs at all levels of care.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Hon. Minister for Health, the Deputy Minister, Hon. Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to tackling non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular conditions, which remain the leading cause of death in Ghana.

“Cardiovascular diseases are a silent epidemic. Our hospitals are increasingly overwhelmed by complications that could have been prevented through early diagnosis and consistent care,” she stated.

“Under the Mahama administration, we are strengthening primary healthcare and removing financial barriers to chronic care through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCare. This flagship initiative will support the poor and vulnerable and invest in innovations that bring care closer to the people,” she added.

Dr. Ayensu-Danquah further emphasized the need for robust partnerships in confronting the growing NCD burden, stating, “Achieving our national targets for non-communicable diseases requires shared responsibility and strong collaboration across borders and sectors. The AYA Integrated Healthcare Initiative, with support from GIZ, is a testament to the kind of strategic alliance we need to drive real impact.”

It is expected that the draft guidelines will be validated and the input of stakeholders incorporated into the final document.

AYA is implemented by GIZ International Services, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, funded by Bayer AG, Sanofi, and the Gates Foundation, and with support from Panorama Global (a US charitable organisation supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company).