Sickle Cell Awareness Month 2020 - Week 3: Diversity in SCD

SCD has many faces. Although more common among African Americans and Hispanic Americans, SCD affects people of different racial and ethnic groups around the world.

This week, we’re raising awareness about racial and ethnic diversity (differences) in SCD. Although SCD is most common among African Americans in the United States, SCD affects many different groups of people. In the United States and worldwide, SCD is common among those whose ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa; Spanish-speaking regions in the Western hemisphere such as South America, the Caribbean, and Central America; Saudi Arabia; India; and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

It's important for healthcare providers, community workers, policymakers, and other advocates of SCD to know that SCD affects diverse groups so that all people with SCD can be properly diagnosed and receive treatment.

“Sickle Cell Has Many Faces” Videos 

Watch people of diverse backgrounds with SCD share that SCD can affect anyone, no matter what you look like or where your family comes from:

• “Sickle Cell Has Many Faces.” (for a general audience)
• “A Message for Healthcare Providers: Sickle Cell Has Many Faces.”

Use this Resource Toolkit to Spread Awareness About the Many Faces of Sickle Cell Disease

The materials and resources included in the “Sickle Cell Has Many Faces” resource toolkit seek to dispel the commonly held belief that sickle cell disease (SCD) affects individuals of only African descent. The resource toolkit contains sample messages and materials you can use to help increase public and provider awareness about the many faces of SCD. It includes

• Promotional announcements that you can include in a newsletter, publication, email, or webpage;
• Social media posts you can send from your organization’s (or personal) handle; and
• Links to the aforementioned “Sickle Cell Has Many Faces” videos, key resources, and materials for you to share with others.

To request a FREE copy of the toolkit, please email Mandip Kaur at wvx6@cdc.gov.  

Find Information and Resources About SCD in Different Languages

In addition to its resources in English, CDC has developed Spanish and French resources to help share information about SCD widely. Share these resources with friends, family members, and colleagues to help non-English speakers learn more about SCD.

• CDC’s SCD Spanish website. Learn about SCD and find resources in Spanish.
• Sickle Cell Trait Toolkit. Find a collection of fact sheets covering various health problems affecting people with sickle cell trait. English, Spanish, and French versions are available.   
• Stepping Up: A 2-part video series about transition. Kevin and Calvanay, two young adults with SCD, share their experience transitioning to adult care and how they’ve overcome challenges related to transitioning with SCD. Spanish transcripts of the videos are also available online.

Want to learn more about SCD? Visit our SCD website.

For more health information and resources for diverse groups, visit the Office of Minority Health website. 

Next week, we will share information about caring for common complications of SCD.  

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Twitter @CDC_NCBDDD.