Universal Newborn Screening
Extend newborn screening (NBS) in Ghana to identify those who may be missed as newborns and subsequently upscale to other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the US, after universal Newborn Screening Programs were implemented, the percentage of children surviving to age 20 years went from 40% in the 1970’s, to greater than 90% in the early 2020s.
Prior Accomplishments to Build Upon
Dr. Frempong, along with colleagues in Ghana and industry, secured funding and resources to:
- Develop and implement a newborn screening program in Ghana.
- Train lab personnel and establish a central lab in Ghana for processing blood samples.
- Screen over 500,000 newborns while identifying over 9,000 newborns with sickle cell disease.
- Initiate penicillin prophylaxis for infection prevention and connect these babies to comprehensive sickle cell disease care.
- Educate and train the local healthcare workforce on sickle cell disease.
TCD for Stroke Prevention
Decrease the incidence of strokes in children with SCD.
Stroke risk screening, or Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) screening, has enabled clinicians to identify children at highest risk for stroke and start therapies for stroke prevention. Strokes in children with sickle cell disease have decreased significantly with the implementation of TCD screening.
Prior Accomplishments to Build Upon
Dr. Ohene-Frempong and his colleagues developed clinical services protocol for young children with sickle cell disease throughout Ghana that includes TCD screening
Current and Future Next Steps
We will provide funding to continue and expand access to TCD screening and preventive therapies in children in Ghana and elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa to decrease SCD.