Scientific   Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood condition resulting from the inheritance of abnormal haemoglobin genes from both parents.  It affects 1 in every 150 births in Jamaica and abnormal haemoglobin genes are carried by15% of the Jamaican population.  If one parent is normal, the couple cannot have a baby with sickle cell disease and this is the basis for prevention.  Prevention is widely recognised to be more effective than treating established disease and premarital screening programmes have been law in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia since 2004.  There is evidence that this approach works in Islamic societies with traditions of arranged marriages but different social patterns occur in sub-Saharan Africa where over 250,000 babies with SS disease are born each year.  The Manchester Project seeks to establish whether knowledge of the haemoglobin genotype will allow prevention of the disease in a Jamaican population which is predominantly of African origin.

 

Funding   The Manchester Project commenced in mid 2007 with laboratory space provided by the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) and financial support from the Sickle Cell Trust (Jamaica).  In March 2008, the Project received a grant of J$600,000 from the Chase Fund, and invoices totalling J$3,824,400 over the period Feb 4-Oct 14, 2008 were covered by the Ministry of Health.  In December 2008, the National Health Fund awarded the sum of J$28,266,095 and the Alcoa Foundation provided a grant of US$80,000 with a further grant of US$83,325 in December 2009.  Total financial support amounted to US$568,000 (J$46,068,925 when calculated at appropriate exchange rates).

 

Staffing     The Project has 2 full time paid staff, sessional phlebotomists and volunteers

 

Laboratory Technologist (Paid full time)

    Aug 2008-present  Ms. Felicea Gibson

 

Educational Coodinator/Genetic Counsellor  (Paid full time)

   Jan 2008-present  Ms. Karlene Mason

 

Phlebotomists and Assistant Technologists (Paid by sessions)

A group of technologists/phlebotomists from whom 2-4 were selected for each school visit.

 

Volunteers

Medical students Mr. Philip Coombs, Ms. Ifna Ejebe, Mr. Kyle McIver, Prof. Graham Serjeant, Mrs. Beryl Serjeant, and Ms. Beverley Smalling (community nurse).

 

 

Manchester Parish