Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia affects more black Americans than white Americans. It has been established that sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease, but surprisingly, political and social aspects are very much in play. Though the disease has been around since the 50s, there have been few research and funding that goes into treating the disease.
Dr. Graham has compared the disparity between the funding of sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis. He lays out the statistic that there are more people suffering from sickle cell anemia as compared to cystic fibrosis, and yet the funding that goes into sickle cell anemia pales in comparison to the funding thrown at cystic fibrosis. But there is still hope yet- the National Health Institute has recognized the disparity and is making the necessary moves to correct the situation. The change lies in the fact that black Americans suffering from diabetes, heart disease or lung disease is a human issue and not a race issue.
