By: Jennifer Nerkie Kenney
An Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Isaac Tetteh Secorm, is urging couples to check their genotype before marriage or childbirth to prevent the birth of children with sickle cell disease.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show, Dr. Secorm explained that genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an individual’s red blood cells, specifically the type of haemoglobin inherited from both parents, which determines whether a person is AA, AS, AC, SS, or SC.
He emphasised that abnormal haemoglobin affects the shape of red blood cells and prevents them from moving smoothly through tiny blood vessels, leading to severe pain and health complications in people living with sickle cell disease.
“The genotype is determined by what you inherit from your mother and your father, and when two sickle cell genes come together, the child develops sickle cell disease,” he stated on Monday, December 8.
“When you have SS, the red blood cells change shape and get stuck in the blood vessels, and that is what causes the severe pain associated with sickle cell,” he said.
Dr. Secorm indicated that sickle cell disease occurs when both parents carry the sickle cell gene, giving a one-in-four chance in every pregnancy that the child will be born with the condition. He noted that many people wrongly believe that once they give birth to a healthy child, future pregnancies are automatically safe, which he described as a dangerous misconception.
He stressed that genotype compatibility should be checked before marriage or childbirth to help prevent the continuous birth of children with sickle cell disease, adding that awareness is gradually increasing but more education is still needed across the country.
“If both parents are AS, there is a one-in-four chance at every pregnancy of having an SS child, not once, but every single time,” he explained.
“That is why it is very important that couples check their genotype before marriage or childbirth,” he added.
Touching on the health implications of various genotypes, Dr. Secorm explained that individuals with the AS or AC genotype generally live normal lives but still carry the risk of transmitting the sickle cell gene to their children. He also revealed that people with the AS genotype tend to survive severe malaria better, which explains why the sickle cell gene remains common in malaria-endemic regions like Africa.
However, he warned that individuals with the SS and SC genotypes suffer frequent painful crises, organ damage, and other life-threatening complications, with SS patients experiencing the most severe forms of the disease.
“Those with AS may not have many problems, and they even survive severe malaria better, but they can still pass on the sickle cell gene,” he stated.
“Those with SC and SS experience serious health challenges, and the crises can become very dangerous,” he added.
Dr. Secorm further highlighted the emotional and financial burden sickle cell disease places on families, stating that many parents are forced to abandon their jobs to care for children living with the condition. He noted that the cost of treatment and emotional strain often overwhelms families, making prevention through testing the best option.
He called on the public to take genotype screening seriously and to seek medical advice on compatibility before starting families, saying prevention remains the most effective way to reduce sickle cell cases in Ghana.
“Some parents have to stop working just to take care of their children with sickle cell, and it comes with emotional and financial stress,” he said.
“That is why knowing your genotype early is not just important, it is necessary,” he emphasized.
The discussion formed part of GTV’s ongoing public health education series aimed at promoting preventive healthcare and reducing avoidable genetic conditions across the country.
