Nigeria now bears the world’s highest burden of sickle cell disease among children, with more than 1.5 million cases recorded in those under 15, according to a new international study.
The findings, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, place Nigeria ahead of other high-burden countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, the study estimates that nearly nine million children are living with the condition, many of them under the age of five and at high risk of early death without proper care.
Lead author, Davies Adeloye of Teesside University, described the situation as both alarming and urgent, warning that Nigeria now sits at the centre of a growing global health challenge.
Despite the severity of the disease, experts say many of its complications can be prevented through relatively simple and affordable interventions.