From Screening to Treatment: Ghana Sets Unified Plan to Tackle Sickle Cell Disease
The Ministry of Health has rolled out new national guidelines for sickle cell disease screening and care to improve how the condition is prevented, found early, and treated across Ghana, with the official introduction taking place in Accra on December 16, 2025; the plan sets out a unified approach to strengthen health services, raise public awareness, support research, and help prevent the disease, and the Deputy Health Minister, Prof. Grace Ayensu‑Danquah, said that about two out of every 100 babies born in the country – roughly 18,000 each year – have sickle cell disease, but many are only identified after serious problems develop, which can lead to avoidable complications and deaths, and the new framework, created under Ghana’s broader Non‑Communicable Disease Policy and the Sickle Cell Disease Strategy for 2024–2028, lays out clear, evidence‑based steps for testing, diagnosing, treating, referring, and following up with patients at all levels of the health system, and she urged everyone involved to work together so these guidelines are put into action, stressing that early detection and good care make a real difference for people living with this inherited blood condition.
