Yargamji/sickle-cell-pms-nigeria

Global SCD Burden Data Story # Pre-Marital Screening: A Formidable Tool to Avert the Burden of Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria **Author:** Abdussamad Yargamji Garba **Course:** NUTDTS 804 – Data Exploration and Visualization, Nigerian University of Technology and Management **Type:** Data storytelling project (2nd Assessment) **Date:** May 2026 --- ## Overview This project examines whether pre-marital screening (PMS) can help reduce the burden of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Nigeria — the country with the highest global SCD burden. It combines epidemiological data from the IHME Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study with peer-reviewed literature on genotype distribution, screening awareness, and international PMS outcomes to build a connected public health narrative. ## Research Question Can pre-marital screening help reduce the burden of sickle cell disease in Nigeria and globally? ## Objectives - Analyze the global prevalence trend of SCD - Understand the trend of SCD mortality indices - Examine factors contributing to SCD prevalence and mortality - Examine the impact of pre-marital screening on SCD burden ## Key Findings - Global SCD prevalence rose **41.4%** from ~5.46M (2000) to ~7.74M (2021); Nigeria alone accounted for **2.5M cases (over one-third of global cases)** in 2021. - Nigeria's SCD burden **surpasses India's despite having only one-sixth of its population**. - Nigeria accounted for roughly a **third of global SCD mortality** across the 2000–2021 period. - 2018 Nigeria DHS data: **21.3% of Nigerians carry the sickle cell trait** (HbAS/HbAC). - Among young unmarried adults in urban Lagos, only **55% had good SCD knowledge** and just **43% knew their own genotype** — a clear awareness-to-action gap. - Saudi Arabia's national PMS and genetic counseling program cut at-risk-couple frequency by **60%** and increased voluntary marriage cancellations among at-risk couples more than **5-fold**, demonstrating the potential impact of structured screening programs. ## Data Sources - …