KU raises awareness about sickle cell anaemia

The British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association hosted a conference at KU, to raise awareness about sickle cell anaemia.

The conference was named In My Blood and students could listen to presentations and engage in workshops and activities.

A pharmacy student, Sajida Hossain Said: “The event facilitated connections between students and speakers.

“It featured a blend of clinical and patient-facing topics, embodying a holistic approach to pharmacy that integrates science and healthcare. “

The conference highlighted the misconceptions about sickle cell disease and included speakers, Cristiana Vagnoni from Genomics England and Faisha Adeniji, a nurse and sickle cell patient.

Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited blood disorder that is most common in people of Black African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and South Asian heritage. It is a disease that causes extreme pain and can lead to difficulty when dealing with day-to-day tasks. 

In the UK currently, 17,000 people are living with sickle cell disease, and there are 250 new cases each year. 

Cristina Vagnoni focused on how organisations such as Diverse Data and NIHR Bioresource are currently tackling the problem of underrepresentation in health data and the goal to support equitable outcomes of genomics medicine for all. 

Faisha Adeniji concentrated on her dual goals to educate people about misconceptions surrounding the disease, as well as emphasising that those who suffer from sickle cell are multifaceted individuals and should not be defined solely by their diagnosis.

Two workshops were conducted, supported by Faisha, which included a role-playing scenario held in a hospital, where participants provided advice to a sickle cell patient and managed an emergency supply of analgesia.

“The conference was highly insightful, providing practical tools for consultation skills and a deeper understanding of sickle cell disease,” said Hossain.