The first medical recordings regarding the Sickle cell disease (Sickle cell and Minor Disease anemia) were published early last century, in 1910, from James Herrick who was the first to notice “peculiar, elongated sickle-shaped red cells” during a severe anemia case of a black student. A few decades later, in 1949, the first scientific study of Sickle cell disease was recorded from Linus Pauling who stated that the rigidity of the sickle-shaped cells may happen due to the interaction between the abnormal hemoglobin molecules. This exact statement was then proved by Pauling, Itano and their colleagues with the Hemoglobin Electrophoresis. Additionally, they also proved that people who suffer from the Sickle cell condition carry a mutated hemoglobin (referred to as HbS), which would polymerize from the normal hemoglobin referred to as HbA. Within the same year, James V. Neel proved that the transmitter of sickle cell anemia is a heterozygous condition and defined sickle cell anemia as a homozygous condition for the same gene.

In Greece, the first case was uncovered in 1952 following some publications of the hospital “Mitera”. The case was located in the village Petromagoula, Arheos Orhomenos.

Thenceforth, in an attempt to control the spread of the Sickle cell disease (SCD) to the general population, the program to prevent hemoglobinopathies was first created and since then is in existence for the past 45 years in Greece. On the one hand it refers to the consolidation of the prenatal testing and on the other hand, the creation of specialized units (Thalassemia and Sickle cell disease units) in all the public hospitals across the country in order to achieve regular monitoring for the patients. Thus, today the births of people, who suffer from hemoglobinopathies and especially from SCD within the entire national population, have been largely reduced. As a result, the total number of the sufferers has been decreased significantly one hand because of the death rate and on the other hand because of the minimization of the births. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3237258/) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3237258/).

According to unofficial statistics, the total number of SCD sufferers today, is estimated around 1.000 people.

The recording of the sickle cell patient’s exact number in Greece via the electronic national register is still underway and there some factors that inhibit this procedure. As many patients even to this day, are still keeping their condition hidden from their social setting and from the society in general. Some of them are not even getting monitored in any of the provided public health structures (such as Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease Units), because of the social stigma derived from the condition and also because of the social exclusion that they may experience after the unveiling of the disease in their social environment.

Today 7% of the global population is carrier of the Thalassemia or Sickle cell Anemia. In the European Union Sickle cell anemia are numbered among the rare diseases and the number of the people who suffer from it is estimated around 103.000 people (Eurostat records 2016). The highest rate of the EU seems to appear in South Europe and especially around the Mediterranean Sea, in Greece and Italy.

In Greece, Sickle cell disease is endemic mostly in areas that had many malaria cases in the past. More specifically, there are many cases in these areas: Boeotia, Arta, Karditsa, Ilia, Khalkidhiki, North Evvoia, Limnos, Mitilini and Rhodes.

The 19th of June is designated as World Sickle Cell Disease Day by the United Nations, in order to raise awareness and provide information to the public.