Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a condition that affects the red blood cells, and it can be very dangerous, especially for children in Africa. In Uganda, many children are born with SCD, but sadly, a lot of them don't live past their 5th birthday. This study aims to understand how common this disease is and where it's most prevalent in Uganda. Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) means a person carries one sickle cell gene but doesn't usually have symptoms.
The researchers will collect dried blood spot (DBS) samples from babies exposed to HIV over a year. About 90,000 samples collected from February 2014 to March 2015 will be studied initially. Up to 1,000,000 samples will be analyzed from 2015 to 2030. The study will be conducted in Kampala, Uganda, using special tests to look at the blood.
- Study involves analyzing blood spots from babies exposed to HIV.
- Data collection will continue until 2030, with over a million samples expected.
- Results will help map where SCD and SCT are most common in Uganda.