SICKLE CELL TREATMENT FOR TANZANIA CHILDREN
Prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease (Sickle Cell anemia) in Tanzania
Tanzania has the third-highest number of sickle cell disease infants born annually in the world. Many confirmed studies suggest that the incidence of Sickle cell anemia (SCD) is particularly high in northwest Tanzania and around Lake Victoria. The overall prevalence of infants born in Rural Tanzania with sickle cell trait is almost 32% and sickle cell disease is around 4%. Awareness levels are still very low and the early diagnosis of children born with sickle cell is also very meager. Because of not being aware and scanty diagnostic facilities for Sickle cell disease in Tanzania, the majority of sickle cell disease children succumb early in life due to the complications of sickle cell disease. Many Tanzanian Sickle Cell Children visit India for curative Sickle cell disease treatment. CMCS Health, the best medical tourism company in India has assisted in many sickle cell Tanzania patients' treatment in India.
The Etiology of SCD in Tanzania Children
Sickle cell disease is a genetic and inherent blood disorder. Due to a genetic mutation in the gene determining Hemoglobin production, the red blood cells (RBCs) become sickle or crescent moon-shaped instead of the normal round, disc-shape. The normal red blood cells are also flexible and can easily pass through the smallest of the blood capillaries to supply oxygen and nutrients to all the cells across the human body. The Sickle Cell RBCs are rigid and sticky and may break and stick together to form a clump and clog the blood vessels, disrupting blood supply (oxygen) to cells around the body.
Being an Inherent blood disorder means the disease is passed on from the parents to their children. A person having genetic mutations in the Hemoglobin (Hb) Gene has a sickle cell trait and is called a sickle cell trait carrier. When a man or woman having sickle cell trait marries another woman or man with sickle cell trait, they may pass on the mutated Hb gene to their child. If the child receives the mutated HB gene from only one of the parents, he/she will also be a sickle cell trait carrier. When the child is born to Sickle cell trait carrier parents and receives the mutated Hb gene from both parents, he/she will develop sickle cell disease or sickle cell anemia. As there is almost negligible pre-nuptial screening among the women and men in Tanzania, the possibility of their marrying each other and giving birth to a sickle cell child is very high.
Treatments for Tanzania Sickle Cell Children
Sickle-cell children in Tanzania usually are not diagnosed early because of less awareness of the disease and scanty diagnostic facilities. Once they are diagnosed with Sickle cell anemia or sickle cell disease, they are medically managed by conventional treatments (blood transfusions, pain-relieving medications for sickle cell crisis, Hydroxyurea, and folic acid. This medical management of sickle cell disease provides only symptomatic relief to the Tanzania Sickle cell child.
The Major Sickle Cell treatment centers for Tanzania Sickle Cell patients are :
Muhimbili National Hospital, Darr Es Salam, Tanzania
Mohimbili National Hospital (MUHAS) in Darr Es Salam, Tanzania provides sickle cell disease management for adult and pediatric Tanzanian Sickle cell patients. The dedicated Sickle cell management unit at Muhimbili National Hospital has in-house laboratory and pathology services and radiology departments that provide diagnostic and monitoring services for SCD-related complications. Dr. Prof. Julie Makani plays an important role in the treatment of Tanzania Sickle cell patients as principal investigator at MUHAS. Dr. Prof. Julie Makani is involved in several sickle cell disease research projects, including the Sickle Pan African Research Consortium (SPARCO) and SickleGenAfrica.
Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (University of Dodoma), Dodoma, Tanzania
Bugando Medical Center, Mwanza, Tanzania
BMC is the third of the four medical centers recognized by The Tanzanian government for Sickle cell disease treatment. This center caters to patients from North-west Tanzania.
The Two Established Curative Sickle Cell Disease treatments
Currently, there are two established curative sickle cell disease treatment options for Tanzania Sickle cell patients. Both have their advantages and demerits.
Gene Therapy for Tanzania Sickle Cell Patients
These are new curative sickle cell disease treatments. There are two variations of Gene Therapy available at a few selected centers in the world for sickle cell patients. Although theoretically, Gene Therapy offers a better option for curing sickle cell disease, as they do not require an allogeneic bone marrow transplant or HSCT for Sickle Cell Tanzania children and subsequent side effects of an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, the exorbitant cost (1-3 million USD) and duration of treatment of almost one year and patient's need to stay near the few selected centers in the country of treatment makes it almost impossible for many Tanzania Sickle cell children.
Allogeneic BMT for Tanzania Sickle Cell Children in India
The other curative medical treatment for Sickle Cell in Tanzania children is an Allogeneic bone marrow transplant (HSCT). The treatment requires a HLA matching bone marrow donor and stay in the medical treatment country for 3 - 5 months. The cost of this curative Sickle cell Treatment in India is between 25000 -35000 USD. Although still high treatment cost (much lower than gene therapy) and less number of Indian stay days, make it a more practical treatment option for Tanzania Sickle Cell children. CMCS Health, the leading Medical Tourism assistance company in India with its collaborations with the best Bone marrow transplant doctors and Top BMT centers in India facilitates and coordinates Sickle cell disease treatments for Tanzania children in India.
Medical travel and treatment assistance for Tanzania patients
CMCS Health, the best medical tourism company for foreigners, assists Tanzania patients in medical travel to India and coordinates and facilitates medical treatments with the best specialist Indian doctors at Top Hospitals in India. Hundreds of Tanzanian patients have had successful medical treatments in India with assistance from CMCS Health.
Medical opinion from Best Sickle cell Doctors
On receiving the query from Tanzanian parents about curative sickle cell treatment for their child, we get in touch with the best Sickle cell treatment specialist doctors in India and discuss the treatment plan and tentative treatment cost. We Help Tanzanian patients choose the best doctors and top hospitals in India for curative sickle cell treatments.
Help in choosing the best Donor for Sickle cell BMT treatment.
We assist the Tanzanian family in choosing the best-suited bone marrow (stem cell) donor for an allogeneic bone marrow transplant for the child. The best donor for allogeneic BMT for sickle cell curative treatment for the child is 100% HLA, identical real brother or sister. We assist the parents in the collection of the samples for the patient and prospective donor and bring them to India for a high-resolution HLA match. Once the HLA match reports come, we inform the parents about the status. They can bring only that child donor who is a 100% HLA identical donor. In case there is no HLA match, either of the parents (Haploidentical or half-match donor) could be the bone marrow donor for the sickle cell child. The treating BMT specialist doctor in India will counsel the parents about the treatment outcome and possible complications of haploidentical donor BMT. A matching unrelated donor BMT (MUD) can also be planned if we get an HLA identical donor for the Tanzania child in international bone marrow registries.
Medical Visa from Tanzania to India assistance
We assist Tanzanian families seeking curative sickle cell disease treatment for their children in India by helping them procure their medical visas and their travel itineraries. Once the Tanzanian sickle cell children's parents choose the doctor and hospital in India for the treatment of their child, we ask them to send us the passport details for issuance of a medical visa and treatment invitation letter from the Indian hospital for an Indian medical visa. We receive the family at the airport on their arrival and bring them to the guest house room or the budget hotel in India that they had approved for their India stay during the medical treatment of the child.
Medical Treatment Coordination for the Tanzanian Child
The dedicated patient care experts of CMCS health, coordinate the entire treatment process with due diligence and total transparency.
Post-treatment Follow-ups
CMCS Health, dedicated patient care experts help in the treatment follow-ups for the Tanzanian family once they reach back Tanzania after successful sickle cell treatment of the child by the treating Indian specialists.
Tanzania Sickle Cell Children Treatment Cost in India
The Allogeneic BMT treatment cost in India for Tanzania Sickle cell children depends on the type of bone marrow donor, and the conditioning regimen ( The Haploidentical donor BMT cost will be higher than the real sibling HLA identical donor because of the extensive conditioning regimen).
The Estimated Cost for Tanzania Sickle Cell Children Treatment in India
Investigation costs before Allogeneic BMT for Tanzania patients in India (Including blood tests, imaging tests, and High-Resolution HLA Matching with Donor) |
Aprrox. 1000 - 1500 USD |
Allogeneic BMT cost for Tanzania Patient in India with real sibling HLA identical donor. | Approx. 24500 - 25000 USD |
Haploidentical Donor Allogeneic BMT cost for Tanzania Patient in India | Approx. 30000 - 35000 USD |
Post successful Allogeneic BMT follow-up investigation cost for Tanzania Sickle cell patient | Approx. 500 - 1000 USD/ month for 2-3 months |
Note:
Please note that it is an average estimated cost quotation. Any complication or overstay of the patient in BMT ICU may increase the cost.
Why Tanzania Sickle Cell Patients prefer India for medical treatment
The credentials of bone marrow transplant programs at the Top BMT Centers in India are very well established. The Best BMT Hospitals in India are well-equipped with the latest cutting-edge technologies and ultramodern infrastructure for cost-effective yet highly successful Sickle cell treatment for Tanzania patients in India. The Major factors that influence Tanzania Sickle cell patients to prefer India for medical treatments are:
- The Best and vastly experienced Hematology and BMT specialist doctors, and support staff
- The Low-cost BMT treatments in India for Tanzania Sickle cell patients
- The Highest Success rates that are at Par with the Best BMT centers in the world
- Availability of flexible apartment rentals and budget hotels in the vicinity of treating BMT hospitals.
- Low logistics cost
- Medical visa for Tanzania Sickle cell patients that is completely hassle-free and is granted at a priority
- No waiting period and immediate start of medical treatment for Tanzania Sickle cell patients
- English being the commonly spoken language means no language barrier for Tanzania Sickle cell patients.
Get Low-cost yet Highly Successful Curative Sickle Cell disease treatment in India.