Kisumu to introduce kit that could lower sickle cell disease

It could soon be possible for prospective couples to know whether their children will develop sickle cell disorders or not.

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has said he is working on modalities of procuring the Sickle Scan for county hospitals. The kit rapidly detects whether individuals have the sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell is an inherited disorder caused by abnormal hemoglobin. Sickle cell trait is due to inheritance of one copy of the sickle gene, while sickle cell disease results from the inheritance of two abnormal genes, one from each parent.

The Sickle Scan test, which costs Sh200, enables potential parents to know their status and the probability that they will pass on the condition to their children.

It is also used in screening newborns for early detection of the condition, making management easier. The tests follow similar procedures used in testing for HIV, including counselling.

Prof Nyong’o brought samples of the kit from the US, where he toured last month to explore ways of making the universal health coverage initiative being piloted in Kisumu a success.

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Mass enlistment

During the launch of mass enlistment for the National Health Insurance Fund medical cover in Seme last week, the kit was tested on random residents and successfully alerted one couple that was not aware one of them had the sickle cell trait.

It also tested positive when tried on a known young sickler.

The governor described the kit as a promising investment that could see the county register a significant drop in the number of sickle cell patients.

“We have seen the success of the kit and we are going to see how we can get more to our hospitals so we can improve diagnostics that can in turn help us have fewer sickle cell patients. That way, we can focus on offering the best care for those suffering from the disorder,” he said during the trial.

Nyong’o added that he had given the green light for the establishment of a US-sponsored institution that will research sickle disorders.

The institution will be established at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, where a cancer research and treatment centre is also coming up.

Under the universal healthcare programme, disease diagnosis and preventive measures at the grassroots are part of strategies to bring down the cost of healthcare services.