Title: Ethical, legal, social, and financial implications of neonatal screening for sickle cell anaemia in Sub-Sahara Africa in the age of genomic science

Authors: E. William Ebomoyi

Addresses: Department of Health Studies College of Health Sciences, Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois 60628-1598, USA

Abstract: This project investigated the prevalence of sickle cell disease in Sub-Sahara African nations, pinpointing the physical and emotional public health components of the disease. The project also focused on the ethical issues associated with neonatal screening of newborns and identified the quintessential legal implications about the management of sickle cell in newborns. We discussed the socio-cultural implications and the impact of the stigmatisation status of the newborn with sickle cell anaemia. The investigator provided the financial implications of treating newborns with sickle cell anaemia as a public health priority among physicians, administrators and health educators in Sub-Saharan African nations. Finally, the role of health educators, epidemiologists and nurses in educating the public was accentuated.

Keywords: ethical implications; legal implications; social implications; financial implications; neonatal screening; sickle cell anaemia; Sub-Sahara Africa; SSA; innovative genomic interventions; gene therapy; bone marrow transplantation; public health; ethics; law; newborns; newborn babies; socio-cultural implications; stigmatisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMEI.2015.066242

International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics, 2015 Vol.7 No.1, pp.46 - 56

Published online: 09 Dec 2014 *

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