Comprehensive healthcare for individuals with sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease: looking back but towards the future

“…In Brazil, thanks to the effort of the Ministry of Health, through the Coordenação Geral da Política Nacional de Sangue e Hemoderivados , a care network has been organized for SCD patients in all Brazilian states and concrete measures have been developed, especially in regard to the enrollment of these patients in ongoing government programs and the education and training of the healthcare team needed to prevent disease by identifying clinical complications at an early stage; this will help to reduce morbidity and mortality rates and improve the quality of life of SCD individuals in Brazil ( 13 , 14 ) .…”

“…This also emphasizes the need for concrete measures with the objective of decentralizing healthcare to safeguard medium- and high-complexity specialized centers as referral units for urgency and emergency care ( 14 , 15 ) .…”

“…The issue of comprehensive healthcare for SCD individuals continues to be a political, social and economic challenge which requires the support of all: government bodies, referral centers, healthcare programs for the child, the woman and the family, healthcare professionals, patients and their representatives ( 14 - 16 ) .…”