A LEADING sickle cell disease (SCD) campaigner, concerned about a growing number of recent deaths of sufferers, has called for all children diagnosed with the condition to be offered an annual vaccination which may prevent fatal complications later in life.
Bahrain Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient Care Society chairman Zakariya Al Kadhem claimed that at least 60 per cent of the SCD deaths in Bahrain were due to acute chest syndrome (ACS), which he believes could be better controlled if they had already received the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
“Incidentally, ACS is a contributing cause of more than half the deaths of sickle cell patients in Bahrain each year,” he explained.
“One of the important preventive measures is an ACS vaccination for SCD children, which we don’t currently administer. Without it, the challenge later in life can be immense.
“Additionally, during the summer, dehydration contributes to complications. Intense heat and not drinking enough water can prove to be a fatal combination.”
ACS is caused by infections and a blockage of blood flow to the chest and lungs. It is a complication many sickle cell patients face that can result in damage to the lungs, breathing difficulties, low oxygen to the rest of the body and possibly death.
According to studies, approximately 50pc of people with SCD will have an ACS episode, and it is one of the most common causes of hospitalisation for children with SCD.
The vaccine helps reduce the rate of invasive pneumococcal disease – an acute and serious communicable disease caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus Pneumoniae, in children with SCD, campaigners suggest.
When these bacteria invade the lungs, they can cause pneumonia; when they invade the bloodstream, they can cause sepsis and when they invade the covering of the brain, they can cause meningitis.
Mr Al Kadhem raised his concerns following the death of Mohammed Ahmed Hamada, who was in his mid-20s. The SCD sufferer from Jidhafs died last week from ACS.
His death brings the total number of fatalities from SCD complications this year to 21, following 70 deaths recorded over a two-year period – 2020 (34) and 2021 (36).
Last month, the GDN reported that Mr Al Kadhem, had appealed for an investigation into the sudden increase in deaths among SCD patients, especially after Bahrain was internationally praised for reducing the fatality rate from an average of 50 to 18 – a significant decrease of around 62pc.
“We lost Mohammed to ACS, as doctors confirmed,” Mr Al Kadhem told the GDN.
Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited disease caused by a gene defect and pre-marital testing is helping to reduce the number of future carriers of the disease in the kingdom.
Pain crises, which occur on a regular basis, are a major symptom caused by sickle-shaped red blood cells that block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to the chest, abdomen and joints.
The intensity of the pain varies and can last from a few hours to a few days. It reduces people’s life expectancy. New treatments are improving both life expectancy and the quality of life of sufferers.
The GDN reported last month that the Government Hospitals’ presentation revealed that SCD fatalities had reduced by 42pc between 2012 and 2016, compared to the period from 2017 to 2021.
Salmaniya Medical Complex sickle cell disease care co-ordinator and special nursing specialist Ali Darwish highlighted this as the outcome of the 180 projects implemented over the past 35 years, as well as the efforts of medical teams and government leadership.
Bahrain has a dedicated medical team at the Hereditary Blood Disorder Centre, established in 2014 to cater to around 5,000 registered SCD patients.
Mr Al Kadhem hopes health officials will now seriously consider the vaccination option if it can be proved to help reduce the number of complications and early deaths with research carried out at SMC.
“It is critical to act quickly to combat ACS. During every patient visit, doctors, in my opinion, have two missions to accomplish – to prevent organ damage … and death,” he added.
Health Ministry officials did not comment on the matter.
raji@gdnmedia.bh
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