Abidjan, July 25, 2024 - Côte d'Ivoire's first center of excellence dedicated to the treatment of sickle cell disease has been inaugurated in Abidjan, an initiative of the pharmaceutical company Novartis, in partnership with the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire.

Located within the mixed Millionnaire Health Center in Yopougon, the new facility, which officially opened on July 19, 2024, aims to offer specialized care to people suffering from this hereditary blood disease, and to promote research to improve therapeutic options.

Sickle cell disease affects nearly eight million people worldwide, causing great suffering, particularly in Africa, where its complications lead to the death of 500 children every day.

In Côte d'Ivoire, the prevalence of sickle cell disease is estimated at 2%, with mortality among children under 5 comparable to other sub-Saharan African countries, where over 50% of children born with the disease die before their fifth birthday.

The Yopougon center of excellence will host a research collaboration between Novartis and CSRS, with the aim of integrating sickle cell screening tests into primary healthcare services to diagnose children.

But also to deploy strategies to strengthen healthcare systems for children diagnosed positive, and to adopt technological solutions to ensure continuity of care and quality data collection.

Parents or caregivers of diagnosed children will receive education and counseling on the pathology, and the majority of patients will be referred to an early intervention and comprehensive disease management program.

Nurses and community health workers at the Yopougon center will be trained in the use of diagnostic equipment and genetic counseling. The center will provide routine clinical care with referral mechanisms and a telehealth infrastructure to link patients to specialized care.

Early intervention strategies, such as neonatal screening, vaccination, laboratory monitoring and the availability of essential drugs, will also be put in place.

The Centre de Santé Mixte Millionnaire de Yopougon, the result of collaboration between the canton of Basel-Stadt and the commune of Yopougon, is designed to fill gaps in public health care, offering general medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics and dentistry services, as well as a pharmacy and laboratory.

The center aims to contribute to better prevention and targeted treatment for the local population, while relying on a quality system based on rigorous indicators.

(AIP)/ tm