Sickle Cell Disease and Severity of Malaria | Chapter 08 | Current Trends in Disease and Health Vol. 2
Background: The relationship between sickle cell disease and malaria remains controversial and the hypothesis that sickle cell disease protects against malaria is widespread. Methodology: A descriptive and retrospective study over a two-year period (2014-2016) was conducted in pediatric departments A and B of the National Hospital of Niamey (HNN). The objective is to assess the relative risk between sickle cell disease and the severity of malaria. Results: Nine hundred and seventy four (974) patients infected with Plasmodium falciparum were included in this study. Thirteen point twenty four percent (129/974) of patients had sickle cell disease, of which 93.8% (121/129) had SS form and 6.2% (8/129) SC form. Seventy-nine point eight percent (103/129) of sickle cell patients had severe malaria (RR = 0.9, p = 0.17). Ninety six point one percent (99/103) of patients with severe malaria have SS hemoglobin versus 3.8% (4/103) who have SC hemoglobin (RR = 0.6, p = 0.0...