Prevalence estimates of sickle cell disease among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and modelling analysis

BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of data reporting on the burden of sickle cell disease across many African settings, particularly among children, who have the highest risk of preventable morbidity and mortality in the absence of early diagnosis and care. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of sickle cell disease and the absolute number of paediatric cases in sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy and service responses. METHODS: For this systematic review and modelling analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health (CABI), and African Journals Online (AJOL) for studies published from Jan 1, 2000, to Sept 10, 2025, that reported the prevalence of sickle cell disease among children and adolescents younger than 15 years in sub-Saharan Africa. We pooled crude prevalence using random-effects meta-analysis. We then fitted a mixed-effects meta-regression for age band (infants [aged 0 to