Are There Problems More Critical or Unique to African American Blacks?
Sickle Cell Disease – an inherited disease that affects more than 80,000 people in the United States, 90% of whom are of African descent. Sickle cell disease causes anemia, jaundice, damage to the lungs, kidney and spleen, acute pain, and strokes. Sickle cell patients, especially very young children, may be easily, and often fatally, overwhelmed by infections. Although most patients will not be cured of sickle cell disease, medical care and Blood transfusions help manage and prevent the pain and the most serious complications of the disease. Large amounts of Blood are needed to treat sickle cell disease. Diabetes – Approximately 2.3 million or 10.8% of all African American Blacks have diabetes, however, one-third of them do not know it. With its complications such as blindness, kidney disease, amputations, heart attack and stroke, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death (sixth-leading cause of death by disease) in the United States. African American Blacks are 1.7 times more lik
