Haemoglobinopathies: Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Hemoglobinopathies are a hereditary group of diseases that are characterized by qualitative changes in hemoglobin (sickle red blood cells) and quantitative changes in hemoglobin (thalassemia). Originally described in subtropical Africa, they are now found all over the world due to migration. Because of the limited available resources for the disease's care and prevention, their high frequency and clinical severity make them a serious public health burden, particularly in Africa. Sickle cell and thalassemia are categorized based on the specific defect in globin chains that are ineffectively produced. Developing nations like sub-Saharan Africa are faced with economic challenges, particularly, where problems are primarily caused by social and cultural backgrounds, along with the coexistence of infection and malnutrition, Therapeutic approaches and follow-up still pose challenges in these situations. Several European nations affected by hemoglobinopathies have successfully implemented an effective therapeutic regime, which is still lacking in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this review paper is to establish the current advanced techniques used for the treatment, prevention, diagnostic, and management of hemoglobinopathies and to ameliorate the burden of hemoglobinopathy in sub-Saharan Africa in the present and future.