World Sickle Cell Day: Biomedical science expert shines a spotlight on disease

On World Sickle Cell Day, senior lecturer in biomedical sciences at Kingston University, Dr Ayodeji Olayanju (whose pictured donating blood plasma below) explains more about the disease which disproportionately affects minority ethnic groups and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and ongoing research initiatives taking place to combat the blood disorder.

Today, on World Sickle Cell Day, we raise our voices to spotlight one of the most pressing yet under recognised health challenges – sickle cell disease (SCD). It is time to confront the health inequalities that persist and advocate for those whose voices often go unheard.

Sickle cell disease is the fastest-growing inherited blood disorder in the UK, affecting more than 18,000 individuals, with approximately 300 new diagnoses each year. This condition causes red blood cells to become rigid and crescent-shaped, leading to blockages in blood vessels, chronic pain, fatigue, infections, neurological complications, and organ damage. Unlike healthy, disc-shaped cells, sickled cells impair oxygen delivery and contribute to severe health outcomes.

SCD disproportionately affects individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds and lower socioeconomic groups, who often face systemic barriers to timely and appropriate healthcare. The psychological and social toll on patients and their caregivers is profound, particularly during periods of shielding and isolation. Curative treatments such as bone marrow transplants and gene editing remain limited due to cost, donor availability, and associated risks.

Earlier this month, the UK government announced a £9 million investment to expand sickle cell apheresis services across England. Apheresis, a life-saving procedure, removes sickle cells and replaces them with healthy donor cells – offering improved quality of life for many patients. It is a critical component of SCD management which requires compatible blood. The NHS Blood and Transplant service has issued an urgent call for more donors, particularly from Black communities, to address dangerously low blood supplies.

At Kingston University, we are proud to lead initiatives that promote awareness, prevention, and treatment of health conditions that disproportionately affect minority and underrepresented groups. Our students are supported to engage in inclusive healthcare research projects such as ‘Barriers to Recruitment of Minority Ethnic Blood Donors in the UK’ and ‘Motivators and Barriers in Promoting Plasma Donation Amongst Students’. These studies have provided valuable insights into how innovation can be leveraged to enhance donor recruitment strategies.

In collaboration with the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) Centre in Twickenham, our staff and students have actively promoted blood and plasma donation through impactful initiatives like the What’s Your Blood Type? event. This has not only contributed to increasing donor engagement within our local community but also offered students hands-on experience with blood grouping in clinical contexts. Moreover, it has fostered meaningful interactions with healthcare professionals and empowered participants to become advocates for their own health and wellbeing.

Let us continue to speak up, educate, and advocate—because every voice matters, and every life counts.

• Find out more about studying biomedical science at Kingston University.