The Sickle Cell Association of Ontario (SCAO) will celebrate World Sickle Cell Day on Sunday, June 19, at Sts. Peter and Paul Banquet Hall in Scarborough.

On December 28th, 2008, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared the recognition of Sickle Cell Disease as a Public Health problem. Further, they commissioned June 19th of each year as World Sickle Cell Anemia Day as part of a system of increasing awareness, collaborations and research on Sickle Cell Anemia.

The goal of this year’s educational session is to educate on the impact of the social determinants of health on Sickle Cell Disease.Guest speakers include: Elizabeth Lee Ford-Jones, MD, Hospital for Sick Children and Graham Sergeant, MD, PhD of the Sickle Cell Trust, Jamaica

Founded in 1981, the SCAO is a nonprofit charitable organization of volunteers who are working to help individuals with sickle cell anemia live more productive and healthier lives. The SCAO provides confidential, one-to-one support and counselling to persons with sickle cell anemia, and their families.

Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited and potentially fatal disease that affects the red blood cells.Symptoms include, episodes of crises of severe pain, fatigue, infections and fever, resulting in frequent hospitalization and absences from school or work. At present, there is no cure. Patient and public awareness and education is the initial approach in the prevention of this disease and the promotion of health maintenance.

For more information about this event and The Sickle Cell Association of Ontario, visit www.sicklecellontario.com

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