sickle cell anemia: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 9, 2026

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blood cells in sickle cell anemia compared with healthy red blood cells

Two side-by-side maps of Africa, southern Europe, and southern Asia. The left map shows regions where malaria is present, shaded in green, covering much of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. The right map displays the frequency of the sickle cell allele (HbS) with varying shades of pink and red, indicating higher frequencies in central and western Africa, and lower frequencies in surrounding regions. The maps highlight the correlation between malaria presenc

blood smear showing sickle cell anemia

sickle cell anemia

Sickle cell anemia explained

Learn about sickle cell anemia and blood behavior in sickle cell patients

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Topics

sickle cell trait hemoglobin S red blood cell human genetic disease hemoglobinopathy cystic fibrosis Duchenne muscular dystrophy thalassemia inborn error of metabolism phenylketonuria albinism Marfan syndrome osteogenesis imperfecta neurofibromatosis Tay-Sachs disease

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