Market research firm Target surveyed from March 18-24, 2020, on sickle cell disease (SS anemia) to discover people's perceptions of how dangerous the disease is and their knowledge of the symptoms of the condition in underdeveloped countries. Questions were asked about the perception of the disease, symptoms, and screening. The study showed that eight out of ten Congolese are aware of the danger of sickle cell disease, but many do not go for screening.
According to the survey data, 92% of Congolese do not get screened for sickle cell disease, and only 8% get tested. The provinces with the highest screening rates are Nord-Ubangi (27%), Ituri (19%), Lomami (17%), Kasaï-Oriental (17%), and Kasaï-Central (15%). The survey also reveals that people with higher incomes are the most likely to be screened, at 77%. The same trend is confirmed in all categories. Muscle pain (55%), fever (52%), fatigue (48%), and paleness (42%) are considered the main symptoms of sickle cell disease by most respondents.
44% of Congolese consider sickle cell disease very dangerous, 37% consider it dangerous, 12% consider it less dangerous, 5% consider it not dangerous, and 2% do not consider it to be dangerous.
The Target firm made recommendations for the proper management of this disease:

• National awareness campaigns on the disease (TV, radio, billboards, posters, banners, ...) with the help of large companies as part of their social responsibility policy and multilateral partners (WHO, UNICEF, ...)
• Proximity communications (door-to-door) in local languages in close collaboration with local communities (neighborhoods, churches, youth associations, women's movements, ...)
• Sensitize, especially in churches and communal houses (registrars), adults who want to get married on the importance of having blood tests done beforehand to verify that both future parents are not carriers of the sickle cell anemia gene (there is a 1 in 4 chance that their child will have this disorder)
• Routine neonatal screening of all newborns in DRC. The earlier this disease is detected, the better the management and chances of child survival. Neonatal screening allows for the detection of children with the disease and children who are not affected but carry a mutated gene. These children will not be sick but at risk of passing the disease to their own children. They are called "healthy carriers" or heterozygotes for the sickle cell gene.

The data obtained from this survey confirm that future spouses do not get screened before marriage to know their hemoglobin status. Good screening should be done before signs appear, either during pregnancy or up to 6 months after birth, and early screening leads to management that can prevent crises.
The survey was conducted among a sample of 1957 Congolese randomly recruited and interviewed face-to-face using an electronic questionnaire. The age range of the respondents varied from 18 to 65 years old and above. The sample's representativeness is ensured by the quota method applied to the following variables: gender, age, occupation, and city of residence. The survey was conducted in 25 capital cities of the DRC, namely Boende, Bukavu, Bunia, Buta, Gbadolite, Gemena, Goma, Isiro, Kabinda, Kalemie, Kamina, Kananga, Kenge, Kikwit, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Kolwezi, Lisala, Lubumbashi, Lusambo, Matadi, Mbandaka, Mbuji-Mayi, and Tshikapa.
To download the complete study, click here.
Friday, 19 June 2020 - 09:41