Cameroon to implement neonatal sickle cell disease screening

Cameroon is moving toward implementing neonatal screening for sickle cell disease to identify the condition shortly after birth. Health officials recently met in Mfou to validate training modules and tools required to deploy these tests across health facilities, supported by the GEDREPACAM partnership.

The Ministry of Public Health aims to systematize this screening in maternity wards to allow for early intervention before complications arise. A circular issued in July 2025 previously instructed public health facility managers to integrate this testing into newborn care.

Sickle cell disease remains a major public health challenge in Cameroon. Approximately 20% to 30% of the population, or roughly 3.5 million people, carry the sickle cell trait. While carriers may not develop the major form of the disease, the national strategic plan for 2025-2030 estimates that the major form affects between 0.71% and 1.60% of newborns and young children.