Do you know how much and how often sickle cell disease truly affects blacks? According to Sickle Cell Anemia News, a “National Poll of African-Americans on Sickle Cell Disease Awareness” revealed that, while most blacks are familiar with sickle cell disease, only about one-third are aware that it affects people of African descent in a disproportionate way.
The findings highlight the need for more education and awareness, as sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the country and most people living with sickle cell disease today are of African descent. In fact, sickle cell disease is diagnosed in one in every 365 black births.
The Poll
The poll was created collaboratively by Pfizer and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and conducted by scholars from the Howard University Interdisciplinary Research Team.
A total of 741 surveys were completed by individuals ages 20 to 70 living in the U.S and the poll was conducted by phone interviews.
The poll was designed to grasp the understanding and perceptions around sickle cell disease by