In 2006, the IECD was one of the first international solidarity associations to commit to people suffering from Sickle Cell Disease. In 2014, the program took off with the support of the Pierre Fabre Foundation and is deployed in four countries. Five years later, the program has helped to care for 4,300 patients, train 1,600 healthcare professionals in early screening,  inform 16,000 people, and screen 30,000 people, mainly newborns. In 2019, the Ivory Coast joined the program and trained 24 health workers in managing the disease.

This genetic disease mainly affects very young children. Early diagnosis and care greatly help to improve their life expectancy and living conditions. Whereas in France a person with Sickle Cell Disease has an average life expectancy of 65 years, in  Africa, 3 children out of 4 die before the age of 5 years.

The IECD supports more than 70 healthcare structures in five countries and deploys its program according to the approaches below. With a view to the forthcoming extension of the program, a preliminary study was carried out in Ivory Coast. The first training and screening actions will start there at the end of 2018.

An estimated 500,000 sick children are born every year in the world. In Africa, the disease is relatively unknown and the majority of sufferers do not benefit from the correct care. Worse still, some believe that it is the result of a curse, thus maintaining beliefs that deprive patients of the appropriate care and encouraging discriminatory behavior.