Date
12 July 2023
Sickle cell cures are coming. African children can’t be left behind
Jayasree K.Iyer, the Foundation's CEO, writes for STAT about developments in the treatment of sickle cell disease. Despite the fact that gene-based treatments for the debilitating blood disorder could soon be regulated, the expected multi-million dollar cost means it will be out of reach for many.
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Jayasree writes, "Sickle cell disease throws the issue of access to health care into particularly stark relief because it is a major cause of early death and disability among some of the world’s most deprived populations, from Africa to Black communities in the U.S."
The potential price tag is a further blow for sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 60% of the world's 120 million people affected by the disease live.
The article acknowledges that ensuring access for complex treatments is not easy but this makes it even more imperative that pharmaceutical companies and other global health stakeholders start identifying solutions to access barriers now.
Read the article on the STAT website.