Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited, autonomic recessive blood disorder characterized by chronic anemia and periodic episodes of pain. Usually red blood cells are disc shape, consist of hemoglobin an iron rich protein that gives red color to blood and carries oxygen from lungs to the body. In persons having sickle cell anemia these red blood cells does not move easily trough blood vessels and contains abnormal hemoglobin. Sickling of cells occur because of mutation in the gene.

Classification: Sickle cell disease in

• Homozygous people who have two sickle genes- HbS or HbSS

• Heterozygous people who have one sickle gene called sickle cell trait- HbAS

Other rare forms are: Sickle haemoglobin C disease- (HbSC), Sickle beta-plus-thalassaemia (HbS/β+), Sickle beta-zero-thalassaemia (HbS/β0).

Sickle cell anemia occurs in males and females at an any age usually in childhood of people from tropical and sub-tropical countries where malaria is common. It is more common in people whose ancestors come from Sub-saharan Africa, South America, Cuba, Central America.