Response to: ‘From Nothing to Gangbusters’: A Treatment for Sickle-Cell Disease Proves Effective in Africa
A current new study on the effects of a drug known as hydroxyurea has been shown to decrease the painful and fatal effects of sickle-cell anemia in children in Africa, after finally getting past the FDA in America. The use of hydroxyurea has been prevalent in America for adults since 1998, and used to treat children with this disease since 2016. The disease causes red blood cells to twist themselves into stiff, semicircular shapes, which causes a severe type of anemia and can lead to higher risk of infections, higher risk of blood clots, and intense pain. The disease affects thousands of people every year, with 75% of the cases in Africa and 1% of the cases in America, making the use of this treatment in Africa a game-changing discovery.
The pills of hydroxyurea are currently sold at about 50 cents per pill, and the price could go down if investors put money into the product to mass distribute it to children in Africa. The study tested 600 children in East Africa on the effects of the drug and found that those who were treated with the drug were less likely to die from the disease, were half as likely to get severe bouts of pain, and were somewhat less likely to get other infections, such as malaria, while taking the medication. The use of this drug could be monumental moving forward for the thousands of children who suffer from sickle-cell anemia in Africa.
The cost of this pill is still relatively high, with the price at about 180 dollars per child per year. The average number of kids per woman in sub-Saharan Africa is five kids, making this cost potentially go up to 900 dollars a year for medication alone. The average annual income for a sub-Saharan household is at $2,041 per year, so nearly half of the family’s income would be put towards solely medication. If the cost goes down due to a large number of investors, or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to distribute the pills and lower the cost to the average family, it would be very beneficial and would make the lives of millions of children in Africa better. The only issue with that becomes the reliance of the hospitals and people in Africa on the pharmaceutical companies and NGOs to maintain the selling and dispersal of the drugs affordable , maintaining a dependence. Without the drug, though, there is no alternative to save the lives of millions, so it is a necessary dependence. What other options are there to create a sustainable cure to this disease? Does one exist?