DPH Observes World Sickle Cell Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jun. 19, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In observance of World Sickle Cell Day on June 19, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) joins partners in celebrating the 2025 theme of “Global Action, Local Impact: Empowering Communities for Effective Self-Advocacy.”

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder caused by abnormal hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen, in red blood cells. Healthy red blood cells with normal hemoglobin are round and easily move through even the smallest blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. However, people with SCD have some red blood cells that are hard, sharp and shaped like a crescent moon because of the abnormal hemoglobin. These cells die early, resulting in anemia, a condition with low levels of normal red blood cells carrying oxygen. The abnormally shaped cells can also get stuck in small blood vessels causing complications such as blood clots, extreme pain and organ damage.

A person with SCD has inherited the sickle cell gene from both parents. In addition to SCD, there is a condition called sickle cell trait (SCT). SCT occurs when a person gets one sickle cell gene from one parent but the copy of the gene they receive from the other parent is normal. People with SCT usually do not have any signs of the disease, but it can be passed on to their children.  

“With proper care, treatment and resources, people with sickle cell disease can live a long and high-quality life,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, interim DPH director. “DPH works in tandem with partners across the state to ensure South Carolinians with sickle cell disease have what they need to help them avoid serious problems and health complications from the disease.”

DPH’s Sickle Cell Program provides care coordination and payment assistance for eligible people diagnosed with SCD to receive medical services, supplies, equipment and/or medications as prescribed by their medical provider.  

In December 2023, DPH implemented a statewide Sickle Cell Disease Registry. The information entered into the voluntary registry helps organizations make informed treatment decisions and support the use of existing therapies improving outcomes for SCD patients.  

The registry also includes a portal for patients to document their experiences, update their information in real-time and share their medical information with their providers.  

"By patients having the ability to share their experiences and provide critical health information in real-time, it allows them to be catalysts for both local impact and global change in the fight against sickle cell disease," said Malerie Hartsell, DPH Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Section Director. "The South Carolina Sickle Cell Registry not only can help us understand the landscape of the disease in South Carolina, but it gives sickle cell warriors a platform for their voices to be heard as it pertains to their health."

The tools in the registry may be used to reduce wait times when presenting at the emergency room. Reducing emergency room wait times ultimately reduces the time for receiving necessary treatments to address the acute issue. It also allows DPH to measure the impact of the registry on the registrant's quality of life and quality of provider treatment.

To learn more about SCD and the state’s Sickle Cell Disease Registry, visit DPH’s Sickle Cell Disease webpage.  

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