The President’s Charity 2020 – 2021 – The Sierra Leone Sickle Cell Disease Society

The Sierra Leone Sickle Cell Disease Society was founded in 1992, a registered charity (#1123310) in UK and in Sierra Leone, with the objective of providing free counseling, clinical and consultative services for people living with sickle cell in Sierra Leone

Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide and especially in Africa. There is no universally available cure. The SLSCDS therefore focuses on developing and maintaining  methods of alleviating suffering in people  living with this inherited condition.

People with sickle cell are also at risk of complications from strokes, acute chest syndrome, blindness, bone damage and priapism.

Without proper care, people living with sickle cell disease could experience damage to organs such as the liver, kidney, lungs, heart and spleen. Death can also result from complications of the disorder. Treatment of sickle cell mostly focuses on preventing and treating complications.

The Chairman of the SLSCDS, Dr George Tregson –Roberts recently summed it up as “people born with sickle cell disease, whose lives are blighted by chronic health, punctuated by unpredictable episodes of acute life-threatening illness that can contribute to unfulfilled ambitions and early death”.

The SLSCDS operates two clinics in Freetown, providing essential care services including maintenance treatment, provision of essential drugs, Genetic counseling, health education, with outreach to schools and referrals to hospitals for specialized treatment and care.

In 2019, numbers of people treated topped 5000 comprising new cases and follow up visits from both centers and the referral hospitals. The impact of low level national action plans and limited resources gives plausible reasons to believe the disease may be significantly under- diagnosed.

The current average running costs per year is circa £60,000. The priority therefore remains raising funds for providing the necessary infrastructures vital in providing relief and care for people living with sickle cell in Sierra Leone.

Good luck to the Directors, medical staff and everyone involved with the SLSCDS as they continue to do such amazing work, given the current circumstances.

The Rotary Club of Edgware and Stanmore recognize the remarkable contribution to the community and urge everyone to support the SLSCDS in every way they can.

Andrew Worley - President

The Rotary Club of Edgware and Stanmore 2020-2021