Sickle cell disease contributed to an estimated 81 100 deaths among children under five in 2021. WHO is working to close that gap, pairing updated clinical guidance with new efforts to make quality-assured, child-friendly medicines more widely available, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 80% of cases occur.

“Too many children with sickle cell disease are still dying or suffering devastating complications, even though we have treatments that can help them. Our goal is simple: to make sure that where a child is born does not determine whether they can get the treatment they need to survive and live a healthy life. The new WHO package of guidance and tools is aimed at improving the care and treatment of children and adolescents living with sickle cell disease (SCD), while accelerating access to medicines that are appropriate, quality-assured and affordable,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director, Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO.  

The work brings together WHO’s technical leadership on child and adolescent health and sickle cell disease from the Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing in close collaboration with the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations (GAP-f), hosted by the Science for Health Department. Together, these efforts span the pathway from evidence-based clinical guidance and identification of priority medicines, to defining the characteristics of appropriate paediatric formulations, establishing a pathway towards quality-assured products, and anticipating future therapeutic options for children.