Since 2005, MSF has been supporting the Ministry of Public Health in Magaria, Zinder region, to reduce the mortality rate of children under five. MSF teams are working in health structures that provide paediatric and nutritional care.

Within Magaria hospital’s paediatric unit, MSF treats children suffering from sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects the red blood cells. Sufferers have painful episodes, called sickle cell crises, anaemia and are more at risk of infection. The disease has a significant negative impact on a patient’s life and also on their life expectancy. In limited resource settings, it is estimated that children with sickle cell disease have a 50-80% chance of dying before their fifth birthday

The MSF approach to treating sickle cell includes education of the patient and family, plus oral medications like folic acid to treat the anaemia, penicillin and vaccinations to help prevent infections, and pain medications to treat the pain. These simple and inexpensive preventive therapies can have a huge impact on the quality of life of the patients.

From March 2017 to May 2018, MSF team recorded 818 cases of children with sickle cell at Magaria hospital’s paediatric unit.