News

The Cayman Islands joins the United Nations in observing Sickle Cell Disease World Day on June 19. In December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognizes sickle cell disease as a public health problem. Raising public awareness of the disease is the main objective of the day.

Sickle cell disorder, a chronic disorder present at birth is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes. Each year, the Public Health Department recommends persons with sickle cell get the flu shot as the disorder is an underlying disease and could result in complications. For this same reason, considering COVID-19, the Health Services Authority recommends that persons aged five years and older with sickle cell disorder receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

While screening for sickle cell disease in the Cayman Islands has been in place since the early 1970s for high-risk families, and since the 1980s for school entry screening, routine newborn screening has been in place since 1997. This has helped in early identification of sickle cell trait and disease with appropriate counselling and management. Currently, there are 44 persons in the Cayman Islands with sickle cell disease known to the Public Health Department.

 “It is important to test for sickle cell trait as this information can help parents make informed reproductive choices. If someone has the sickle cell trait, it is important to know if one’s partner is also a carrier. If both parents are sickle cell carriers, with each pregnancy, there is a 25% risk of having a child with sickle cell disease,” Mrs. Merren stated.

For further information, please contact Mrs. Merren at 244-2630 or joy.merren@hsa.ky at the Public Health Department.