Stepping Systematically Forward Toward Health Equity in Sickle Cell Disease

The dynamic process of transitioning from pediatric to adult health care for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) is complicated by challenges that lie at the intersectionality of medical, social, economic, and environmental factors. Sickle cell disease is a biologically based inherited blood disorder that can be traced to geographic origins. It is not race limited, yet it is unquestionably associated with racism, bias, and inequity. Systems-based inequities in drug development, discordant allocation of resources, access to care, treatment of pain, and quality of care contribute to poor health care outcomes for people living with SCD. Collectively, these complex drivers of disparities, many of which originate from systems of power and have considerable overlap with the social drivers of health, impact quality of life for those with SCD throughout the life course.
Source: JAMA Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research