Barriers that prevent initial prescription of hydroxyurea in sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common inherited red blood cell disorders, affecting millions of people worldwide. According to CDC, SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans and is most prominent in people with ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa, Spanish- speaking regions in the Western Hemisphere (South America, the Caribbean, and Central America), Saudi Arabia, India, and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy. 1 out of every 365 black or African-American and 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American children are born with SCD.1 Approximately 6,000 Latin Americans are born with SCD annually in both US and Latin American countries. However, of all the Latin Americans countries, only Brazil and Costa Rica have new born screening for SCD and have treatments to reduce SCD related morbidity and mortality in children