11% of Ticas Suffer a
Blood Disorder
According to different
studies conducted in the
country, between 8% and
11% of Costa Rican women
of African descent
develop "depranocitosis"
(drepanocytosis or
sickle cell)
The disease affects
mainly women from the
provinces of Limón,
Guanacaste and
Puntarenas.
Given the high degree of
ignorance among the
people of Limón about
the disease, the Foro de
Mujeres
Afrodescendientes de la
Provincia de Limón and
the Instituto Nacional
de las Mujeres (Inamu),
are organizing the I
Foro de Salud y Derechos
HUmano de las Mujeres
Afrodescendientes.
"The problem is that
women of African descent
do not know about the
disease, and as such do
not know who treat and
prevent it", said
Jeannette Carrillo
Madrigal, president of
the Inamu.
The forum will focus on
the human rights of the
women of African
descent; a definition
and concept about the
disease, diagnosis,
statistics and studies;
attention on health care
and public health
policies.
Drepanocytosis is a
blood disorder
characterized by red
blood cells that assume
an abnormal, rigid,
sickle shape. Sickling
decreases the cells'
flexibility and results
in their restricted
movement through blood
vessels, depriving
downstream tissues of
oxygen. The disease is
chronic and lifelong:
individuals are most
often well, but their
lives are punctuated by
periodic painful attacks
and a risk of various
other complications.
The disease is very
widespread throughout
the world. It presents
disturbances specific to
drepanocyte anaemia, due
to the malformation of
red blood cells that
have the form of a
sickle (from the Greek -
drepanon).
Sickle-cell disease may
lead to various acute
and chronic
complications, several
of which are potentially
lethal.
Sickle-cell conditions
are inherited from
parents in much the same
way as blood type, hair
color and texture, eye
color and other physical
traits. |
