BMC global and public health
A qualitative evidence synthesis on perinatal screening for sickle cell disease in high-burden countries
By Seabold A, Luchyshyn A, Roberts N and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Sickle cell disease (SCD) screening can improve lives and reduce mortality through prevention and targeted treatment, but screening programmes are not universally available in the settings which could most benefit from them. We aimed to understand the implementation considerations for prenatal and newborn SCD screening programmes in countries with a high livebirth prevalence of SCD using the socioecological model of health.
Methods
We performed a systematic review of qualitative evidence relating to prenatal and newborn screening programmes for SCD in the thirty countries with the highest SCD case to livebirth ratio. We included 18 papers published between 2004 and 2024 that covered nine countries and performed the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Studies Checklist on each. Through recursive interaction with our data, we interpretively developed four themes using reflexive thematic analysis and used the GRADE-CERqual method to appraise our key findings.