Support for the Sickle Cell Disease Control Centre

BACKGROUND

Guinea is one of the countries most severely impacted by sickle cell disease, a very painful hereditary disease that can be fatal if not properly treated (see our section on programmes addressing sickle cell disease, the world’s leading genetic disease). According to statistics published in 2019 by the Donka University Teaching Hospital in Conakry, 20% of the Guinean population is believed to carry the disease. Patients faced with diagnostic challenges and limited access to essential medicines find themselves forced to seek care in other countries in the sub-region, such as Mali, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

IMPROVING TECHNICAL AND HUMAN CAPACITIES

Since 2019, the Fondation Pierre Fabre has been supporting the Sickle Cell Disease Control Centre of the SOS Drépanocytaires Guinée non-profit organisation in Conakry. This medical NGO founded in 2008 offers treatment at moderate cost and holds awareness-raising campaigns, particularly to encourage screening young children, as early treatment helps slow the disease’s progress.

The Foundation’s support is focused on three objectives:

• Support for staff training and for treatment and transfusion activities (including training in pain management led by the NGO Douleurs sans Frontières);
• Creation of a medical analysis laboratory (the first medical analyses were performed in November 2020);
• Opening of a pharmacy centre (including recruitment of a qualified pharmacist).

Other support positions have been identified, including staff to computerise patient medical records.

INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES

Throughout 2019, the monthly number of sickle cell medical consultations increased from 334 consultations and 34 new patients in January to 518 consultations and 75 new patients in December.

In 2020, the challenging health and safety context caused various delays, as Guinea is among the African countries most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, patient care progressed, with nearly 2,000 consultations between May and September 2020.