A new large-scale systematic review and modelling analysis has estimated that more than 8.8 million children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa were living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in 2023, highlighting a significant but largely preventable public health burden across the region.
The study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, combined data from 40 studies across 22 countries with statistical modelling to estimate both prevalence and absolute case numbers among children under 15 years.
Researchers found that about 1.78 per cent of children and adolescents under 15 years in sub-Saharan Africa are living with the condition, with prevalence highest in Central Africa (2.07 per cent among children under five), followed by West, Southern, and East Africa.