System Maintenance Notice

Please note that maintenance work is scheduled between 4 AM and 5 AM - CET. During this time, you may experience reduced performance. Thanks for your patience.

Publications

Letter Epublish 3 citations

PubMed: 33596947 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-021-00671-x

Implementation science research for the scale-up of evidence-based interventions for sickle cell disease in africa: a commentary.

Global Health 17(1):20

Authors: Joyce Gyamfi, Temitope Ojo, Juliet Iwelunmor, Gbenga Ogedegbe, Nessa Ryan, Amy Diawara, Obiageli Nnodu, Ambroise Wonkam, Charmaine Royal, Emmanuel Peprah

Affiliations

  • Global Health Program and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health, 14 East 4th Street, 3rd Fl, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
  • Global Health Program and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health, 14 East 4th Street, 3rd Fl, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
  • Behavioral Science and Health Education, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Salus Center, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, Saint Louis, MO, 63103, USA.
  • Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, 180 Madison Avenue,7th Fl, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
  • Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research & Training (CESRTA), University of Abuja, Airport - Giri Expressway, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
  • Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences - University of Cape Town, Anzio Road Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
  • Departments of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine & Community Health, Duke University, 1316 Campus Drive, 234 Ernestine Friedl Building, Box 90252, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) is greatest among African nations. Effective scalability of evidence-based interventions (e.g., newborn screening, health education, prophylaxis for infection, optimal nutrition and hydration, hydroxyurea therapy, blood transfusions, and transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening) is urgently needed particularly in these settings for disease management. However, Africa is constrained by limited resources and the lack of capacity to conduct implementation science research for proper understanding of context, and assessment of barriers and facilitators to the uptake and scalability of evidence-based interventions (EBI) for SCD management.

MAIN BODY

We outline implementation science approaches to embed EBI for SCD within the African context and highlight key implementation research programs for SCD management. Building implementation research capacity will meet the major need of developing effective life-long and accessible locally-tailored interventions for patients with SCD in Africa.

CONCLUSION

This commentary communicates the importance of the application of implementation science methodology to scale-up evidence-based interventions for the management of SCD in order to reduce pain, prevent other morbidities and premature death experienced by people with SCD in Africa, and improve their overall quality of life.

MeSH

Infections, Anemia, Sickle Cell, Global Health, Cells, Research, Implementation Science

Cited by