and a normal one
Image by Betty Pace
Two members of the US House of Representatives have introduced a resolution calling for expanded government efforts to increase sickle cell trait (SCT) research and improve access to SCT screening and education.
Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) introduced the resolution, which was assigned to a congressional committee that will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole.
The resolution, H.Res.296, encourages the medical community as well as state and federal governments to work to ensure that all individuals are made aware of their SCT status by developing a common strategy for disseminating screening results and providing education and counseling to parents and families in collaboration with all 50 states’ newborn screening programs.
The resolution calls on the US Department of Health and Human Services to develop a public awareness campaign stressing the importance of knowing your SCT status and to expand access for screening and appropriate counseling for SCT carriers.
The resolution also says the House commits to ensuring support for research that expands our understanding of SCT and sickle cell disease.
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) said it applauds this bipartisan effort to advance public understanding of SCT, which is estimated to affect more than 300,000 people in the US, many of whom are unaware of their status.
ASH also said it has identified several priorities for research in this area and has collaborated with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America to develop a Sickle Cell Trait Toolkit for SCT carriers and their families.
To follow the progress of the resolution, H.Res.296 – Calling for Sickle Cell Trait Research, visit Congress.gov.
