CISA is to highlight the International Day of Drepanocytosis with a virtual conference entitled “Drepanocytosis in times of Covid-19” on 19 June at 3pm.

The conference begins at the aforementioned time on the Zoom platform and counts on CISA team leaders, Jocelyne Vasconcelos and Dr Luís Bernardino, who are speaking about the heightened risk of drepanocytosis during the COVID19 pandemic in Angola. In turn, Brigida Santos addresses the theme of “Hydroxyurea in the treatment of drepanocytosis – the experience of CISA and the David Bernardino Pediatric Hospital with João Lavinha casting his attention over the new therapies for drepanocytosis that are now in stock and available for usage in Angola.

This session shall also see the launching of the CISA booklet dedicated to falciform cell diseases.

19 June recalls the date of birth of the first person to be born and diagnosed with this disease. Highlighting the date internationally contains the objective of warning about the serious incapacities caused by the disease that is also known as sickle cell anaemia. This condition is characterised by the production of an abnormal haemoglobin designated haemoglobin S that shall, due to a diverse series of factors, undergo transformation from the normal rounded and malleable red blood cell into a rigid ‘sickle’ or crescent moon shaped format – and resulting in the common name for this disease.