By Johnstone Mwilime
New treatments offer hope for people living with sickle cell disease, but high costs, delayed diagnosis and stigma continue to limit access across Africa.
ACCRA, Ghana, October 28, 2026 — African countries must expand early diagnosis, make effective treatments affordable and tackle stigma to help people living with sickle cell disease lead full and productive lives, a Ghanaian haematologist has said.
Dr Enam Sefakor Bankas, a haematologist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, said advances in disease-modifying medicines, stem cell transplantation and gene therapies were creating new possibilities for patients, but many across Africa remained unable to access them.
“We need to think more of thriving than just survival,” Bankas said during a virtual healthcare discussion, stressing that care should enable patients to complete their education, pursue careers, raise families and participate fully in society.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that can cause severe pain, anaemia, organ damage and life-threatening complications.
Hydroxyurea, a medicine that reduces painful episodes and other complications, remains an important treatment option. In Ghana, its approval in 2018 and subsequent inclusion in the National Health Insurance Scheme in 2022 helped expand access. Bankas reported that 20 treatment centres participated in efforts to provide the medicine, with approximately 3,648 patients recruited into treatment.
However, affordability, medicine availability and shortages of specialised services continue to constrain care.
Newer treatments, including crizanlizumab and L-glutamine, offer additional options in some settings. Stem cell transplantation and gene therapies may offer substantial benefits for eligible patients, but their costs, complex infrastructure requirements and potential risks put them beyond the reach of many people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Early diagnosis remains a challenge
Bankas identified limited screening and diagnostic capacity as major barriers to better outcomes.
Rapid screening tests can help identify people who may have the disease, particularly in communities with limited laboratory infrastructure. Positive results, however, require confirmatory testing, which can be costly or unavailable in some areas.
Artificial intelligence could eventually support diagnosis by helping analyse blood films and identify suspicious cases, particularly where laboratory specialists are scarce. Such applications would require clinical validation before widespread use.
Ghana’s 2025 national sickle cell disease screening and case-management guidelines emphasise early detection, essential medicines, continuing care, psychosocial support and referral systems. Bankas cautioned that implementing these measures would require sustained investment in diagnostic services, reliable medicine supplies, patient records and referral networks.
Stigma compounds the burden
Access to treatment is only part of the challenge. Bankas said some patients experiencing painful crises face suspicion from healthcare workers who assume they are seeking opioid medicines for non-medical reasons. Such attitudes can result in inadequate pain relief and unnecessary suffering.
Financial constraints also lead some patients to ration medicines or delay seeking care, while misconceptions about the disease contribute to discrimination in schools, workplaces and communities.
Public education and compassionate clinical practice are therefore essential to improving patients’ quality of life, she said.
Bankas also called for informed, non-discriminatory approaches to genetic counselling. Prospective parents should receive accurate information about inheritance, reproductive risks and available options without being stigmatised or having their personal choices restricted.
Turning scientific progress into accessible care
The central challenge for African health systems is ensuring that advances in sickle cell treatment translate into equitable access. This will require stronger screening programmes, affordable essential medicines, trained healthcare professionals, sustained research and long-term patient monitoring.
Ghana’s experience will inform wider discussions on African health systems when international experts meet in Accra for the African Healthcare Conference on December 18–19, 2026.
Further information and registration are available through the conference registration page