There is no streamlined method of treatment for affected sickle cell patients to cope with and treat their crisis. Therefore, SCD patients experience multiple long hospital stays throughout their lives, where they are given painkillers, vitamins, and blood transfusions. These frequent, long hospital visits limits the hospital's rooms availability and can be mentally draining for the SCD patients. Also, since the pains that they experience are internal, where the "C" shaped blood cells constantly stabs the blood vessels as they try to flow through it, urgent care and emergency rooms typically disregard their pain and prioritize patients with physical pains that can easily be seen.
SCD patients need a device to monitor the status of their blood flow and be alerted when the crisis is coming so they can be better prepare for it and take necessary precautions.
GLOBAL IMPACT
Our research has shown that about 12 to 15 million people have sickle cell in Africa. In fact, 1 out of 365 African births have sickle cell disease. CDC (December 16, 2020). Approximately 3 percent of births in parts of the African continent are affected by this disease. Also, there is about 70,000 to 100,000 sickle cell disease patients in America. World wide, there are 20 to 25 million people who have sickle cell anemia.
Sickle cell disease is a very serious worldwide problem that affects millions of people. Unfortunately, 50 to 90 percent of patients born with SCD will die before their 5th birthday (Sickle Cell Disease Coalitiion. 2021) and the average life expectancy of sickle cell patients in Africa is less than 20 years (The New Humanitarian, 2010).