A new scientific publication developed within the ARISE project explores the frequency of infections in paediatric subjects with Sickle Cell Disease in, particularly in high-incidence settings such as Nigeria.

The study, entitled “Pattern of Reported Infections Among Paediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: A Single-Centre Cohort Study in Nigeria”, has been published in MDPI (Hemato) and includes among its authors our researchers Lucia Ruggieri and Fedele Bonifazi.

The research, conducted at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria (Nigeria), is based on a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 1,961 paediatric patients collected over a 25-year period and reported in an electronic registry during the ARISE secondment of Muhammad Aminu Idris, that led this study. The findings show that nearly a quarter of patients experienced at least one infection during clinical visits, with malaria being the most prevalent, followed by osteomyelitis, acute diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. The analysis also highlights a higher incidence among children aged 5 to 14 years and incomplete vaccination coverage.

The key finding is the significant burden of infections in the morbidity associated with sickle cell disease, in a context where environmental factors and limited access to preventive measures increase vulnerability. The availability of long-term data provides a more robust and clinically relevant picture.

The study therefore helps to inform more targeted interventions in prevention, early diagnosis and timely management of infections, which are essential to reducing complications and improving quality of care.

The publication is freely available here.