There is a link between malaria and sickle cell anemia

Researchers from several institutes in Gabon have conducted a scientific study and revealed that there is a link between malaria and sickle cell.

Eric Elguero, a research engineer, said that theoretical and biologically, the link between malaria and sickle cell disease is not new. But no studies had quantified the number of cases. Today, a treatment for both diseases exists but the results of this study revealed that malaria keeps sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder.

"We always have two versions of a gene; one is from the father and the other from the mother. When the two versions are abnormal, it creates a very serious condition,” the researchers disclosed.

Again, when there is only one gene that is abnormal, there is no apparent pathology and in this case it is protected against malaria.

“There are two effects; in a country where there is a lot of malaria, we tend to be a lot of people because they are heterozygously protected. But also, it suddenly creates a lot of homozygotes born children who themselves are at risk of the severe disease," said the research engineer at the Institute for Research and Development in Montpellier, Eric Elguero author of the study.

In conclusion, the researchers recommended to link preventive measures and epidemiological surveillance including delineating the areas of persistent sickle cell populations. A disease that affects about 275,000 births each year.