Service provision for sickle-cell disease: school-based education

Knowledge of sickle-cell disease is generally limited to the populations in which the disease manifests itself most frequently, and to the health-care professionals dealing with people affected by the disease. Populations affected by this group of inherited blood disorders include people originating from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as from countries surrounding the Mediterranean (Franklin, 1990). With the establishment of Britain as a multicultural, multiracial society, it is increasingly likely that many people, regardless of ethnic origin, will be in contact with people affected by the condition.