Message from the Scientific Director: Sickle Cell Awareness Month
September marks Sickle Cell Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and recognize the strength and resilience of the individuals, families, caregivers, and communities who live with its impacts every day.
Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited blood disorders that can cause severe pain, stroke, and other serious complications that affect health and quality of life. While considered a rare disease in Canada, it disproportionately affects people of African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian ancestry, with an estimated 6,000 Canadians living with the condition.
Advancing research is essential to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for people living with this disease. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has invested $14 million in sickle cell disease research over the past decade, while also supporting related research in cardiovascular health, hematology, genetics, genomics, pain management, and health services. Together, these investments are driving discoveries that improve care, inform clinical practice, and help build a more equitable and responsive health system.
Across Canada, CIHR-funded researchers are uncovering the genetic factors that influence sickle cell disease, advancing innovative approaches to pain management and treatment, and generating evidence to improve health services and patient outcomes. Their work is helping ensure that people living with the disease benefit from the latest scientific advances while laying the foundation for better care in the years ahead.
This Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we encourage Canadians to learn more, support those living with the disease, and recognize the researchers, health care providers, advocates, and community organizations working every day to improve outcomes and build a healthier future for everyone.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ariane Marelli
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health
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