About Sickle Cell Awareness Day

Sickle Cell Awareness Day- June 19
Sickle cell disease is present on four continents: in sub-Saharan Africa and in the Maghrib, in Asia (Middle-East, Arabic peninsula, India), in the Americas, on the North (USA), center (Guatemala, Caribbean islands), and on the South (Brazil, Surinam, Guiana), in Southern Europe (Southern Italy and Sicily, Greece, Turkey)*.

 It is estimated that sickle cell disease affects nearly 100 million people and over 500,000 are born every year with this severe and invalidating condition and 50% of them will die before the age of 5 years.

The World Health Organization (2006) and the United Nations (2008) have recognized sickle cell disease (SCD) as a global public health priority and in order to raise awareness of the disease designated the 19th day of June every year as World Sickle Cell Day (WSCD).

Canada
In Canada, though there is no national sickle cell disease registry, a recent study showed that approximately 3500* individuals in Ontario and an estimated 6500 people across the country have sickle cell disease.

In line with the United Nations’ recommendations, in 2017, Canada (with the help of Senator Jane Cordy and MP Darren Fisher) enacted June 19 as law making the country the first and only country to legalize the day.

Ontario
To raise more awareness of June 19 in Ontario(the province with the largest number of patients in Canada), the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario and the Thalassemia Foundation of Canada sought Hon. Andrea Khanjin and Hon. Rudy Cuzzetto to introduce Bill 255 in recognition of June 19 as Provincial Sickle Cell Awareness Day and May 8 as Provincial Thalassemia Awareness Day. The bill passed in the Ontario Legislative Assembly on June 3rd 2021. Read more here.

*References

-UESCO Press Release

-How Many Sickle Cell Disease Patients are there in Ontario

How to Celebrate Sickle Cell Awareness Day with SCAGO

Use #SickleCellAwarenessDay and #WorldSickleCellDay to share and follow on social media.

Share the ABC's of Sickle Cell Disease to help educate others about sickle cell disease. 

Attend one of our upcoming events.

Share your #SCDStory with us by emailing media@sicklecellanemia.ca We’ll be highlighting the stories of SCD warriors, family members, and caregivers throughout the month. 

Connect with us on social media and use the hashtags #SickleCellAwarenessMonth and #SCAGO.

Twitter: @SCAGOSCD | Facebook: @SCAGOSCD | Instagram: @SCAGOSCD | TikTok : @SCAGOSCD

LinkedIn: Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario | YouTube: @SCAGOVIDS