NIGER - FIGHT AGAINST SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA

Sickle-cell anemia is a genetic disease that affects more than 25 % of the inhabitants of Niger; it is caused by a malformation of the red corpuscles, and is reflected in arterial disorders inducting strong pain attacks, cardiovascular and pneumological issues. Sickle-cell is frequently responsible from development and breathing troubles for the children, as well as bone disorders, especially in the lower limbs.

The treatment of the disease mostly lies in dealing with each of its consequences when it appears (painkillers, oxygenation, transplant, blood transfusion...), because there is no cure for the disease itself. Sickle-cell anemia is most of time wrong-diagnosed; screening tests are not used enough to allow a good identitfication of all the carriers of the gene.

Thanks to the work of the Association de Lutte contre la Drépanocytose au Niger, and thanks to the personal involvement of H.R.H. The princess of Hanover, the building of a Reference Center was initiated during the year 2008, in partnership with the Monegasque Cooperation and the public health authorities of Niger.
The Reference Center is officially operating since January 2010 with the following objectives:

• To medically and psychologically treat the ill families (consultation, hospitalization, social service)
• To favor the screening tests
• To inform and raise the population of Niger awareness
• To develop scientific research on sickle-cell anemia

Located on a 4000 m² field kindly donated for the project by the Government of Niger, the Centre tries to gather in a single location all the specialized services that the families needs. Among them:

• 2 consultation rooms
• 1 treatment rooms
• 3 hospitalization rooms
• 1 room dedicated to psychosocial and preventive care
• 1 medical laboratory
• 1 pharmacy dedicated to sickle-cell disease

The staff of the Centre is composed of 24 officers provided by the Ministry of Public Health, among which 4 doctors (2 are paediatrician) and 3 nurses. The Centre can accomodate 11 people for day hospitalizations; the most urgent cases are transferred principally to the National Hospital of Niamey.

Between 1 January and 30 June 2011, the report is the following:

• 2 876 patients registered - 1 338 children under the age of 5
• 154 day hospitalizations - 74 children under the age of 5
• 253 patients transferred for appropriate care
• 1 654 follow-up consultations
• 2 965 people attended the awareness and information sessions about Sickle-Cell