Journal of Innovative Clinical Trials and Case Reports
Open Access • Peer Reviewed • Bi-Monthly
Burden of Sickle Cell Disease in Paediatric Patients Admitted at Rundu Intermediate State Hospital Over a 2-Year Period
Abstract
Background: The origin of sickle cell disease (SCD) lies in the malarial regions of the tropics, where carriers are protected against death from malaria and hence enjoy an evolutionary advantage. The βS-mutation is the archetypal example of natural selection in humans. Of the total population of Namibia (2.46 million), 72% are living in areas of active malaria transmission. Patients with SCD suffer from various clinical manifestations.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using paediatric hospital records for patients admitted to the Rundu State Intermediate Hospital in 2020 and 2021.
Results: Over the course of two years (2020–2021), a total number of 3,168 children were admitted to the Rundu state hospital, with 1,527 and 1,641 admitted in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Of the total admissions, 103 of the paediatric patients had SCD, which constituted a prevalence of 3.3%. Many of the participants were male, aged between 1 and 5 years old, and suffering mainly from vaso-occlusive crisis.
Conclusion: The burden of SCD among admitted patients at Rundu hospital was high, and vaso-occlusive crisis was the main clinical manifestation. Patients with SCD had access to adequate management. There is a need to diagnose SCD in newborns before the development of complications, and comprehensive care must be offered in the future in Namibia.
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© 2026 The Author(s). Published by WM Journals.
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