National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. This year, we are proud to join federal and non-federal partners in raising awareness about this debilitating disease affecting approximately 100,000 Americans and the growing challenges COVID-19 has had on the sickle cell community.

OMH will highlight the advances made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since the launch of the Sickle Cell Disease Initiative in 2018 and their commitment to normalizing the lives of people living with sickle cell disease within 8 years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Sickle cell disease occurs among 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births.
Sickle cell disease occurs among 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births.
About 1 in 13 Black or African-American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT).

Visit the OMH website for downloadable materials, videos, information regarding the latest advances and health resources.