Public Policy and Healthcare Awareness: Addressing the Challenges of Sickle Cell Anemia

Abstract

Sickle cell anemia is a significant global health problem, affecting approximately 300,000 newborns each year, yet it has received limited attention in public health policies and awareness programs. This study examines policy responses and healthcare awareness initiatives for sickle cell disease, assessing the extent of their coordination through a systematic review of policy documents, scholarly literature, and program evaluations using a mixed-methods approach. The findings reveal substantial gaps in coordinated care: policy responses are largely ineffective, health professional education standards are inadequate, and community awareness programs are limited and poorly integrated into care. Policies vary widely across jurisdictions, and their implementation is inconsistent, resulting in insufficient awareness among health professionals and the public, which negatively affects emergency care and pain management. The study recommends an integrated framework combining policy reform with culturally relevant community awareness programs. Effective change requires coordinated strategies addressing social determinants of health, professional education, and community awareness. Models such as Ghana’s coordinated screening and education approach demonstrate significantly better outcomes than fragmented responses, highlighting the potential to improve health equity and reduce mortality rates among populations affected by sickle cell disease worldwide.

Keywords: public health, sickle cell anemia, public policy, healthcare awareness, health equity, genetic diseases

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/119-10

Publication date: October 30th 2025