By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) has issued its first global guideline to help healthcare professionals improve pregnancy outcomes for women living with sickle cell disease, marking a significant step toward addressing what it calls a growing and life-threatening maternal health challenge.
Sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder, causes red blood cells to deform into crescent shapes, restricting blood flow and triggering severe anaemia, pain, infections, and critical medical emergencies such as strokes, sepsis, and organ failure.
These risks intensify during pregnancy, placing both mothers and babies at increased danger.
With a global rise in sickle cell prevalence, now affecting an estimated 7.7 million people and responsible for over 375,000 deaths annually, WHO highlights the urgent need to equip maternity care providers worldwide with comprehensive knowledge of how to manage the condition.
The report confirms that sub-Saharan Africa bears the heaviest burden, accounting for 80% of global cases, followed by regions in the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South Asia.
According to the guideline, women with sickle cell disease are four to eleven times more likely to die in pregnancy than those without the condition.
They also face significantly higher rates of complications such as pre-eclampsia, premature births, and stillbirths.
WHO’s recommendations aim to counter these risks by promoting evidence-based care adaptable across both high-income and resource-limited settings.
The newly published guideline outlines over 20 medical recommendations, including iron and folic acid supplementation, blood clot and infection prevention, sickle cell pain crisis management, and the use of prophylactic blood transfusions.
Special attention is also given to the need for additional monitoring of both mother and baby throughout the pregnancy period.
WHO calls for a tailored, respectful approach to care that considers each woman’s medical history, personal needs, and preferences.
The guideline also stresses the need to eliminate discrimination and stigma within healthcare systems—a barrier that continues to affect patients in many parts of the world.
For optimal outcomes, WHO encourages early engagement with skilled healthcare professionals, including haematologists, midwives, obstetrician-gynaecologists, and paediatricians.
Such collaboration, it notes, allows for informed decisions and contingency plans to manage any complications that may arise during the pregnancy journey.
WHO also urges stronger investment in prenatal care, diagnosis, and awareness campaigns to improve survival and quality of life for women and babies affected by the disease; as the sickle cell gene becomes increasingly global due to migration and rising life expectancies.
