Public health

SCD is a genetic condition that affects red blood cells, causing them to become stiff and crescent-shaped. These misshapen cells can block blood vessels, leading to pain, organ damage, and serious complications like anaemia, strokes and infections.

Without proper care, children with SCD face high risks – especially in low-resource settings. Around 500,000 babies are born with SCD each year, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. In 2021, sickle cell disease caused more than 81,000 deaths among children under five, making it the 12th leading cause of death in this age group worldwide. The true toll is likely even higher, as many children die before ever receiving a diagnosis.

Early diagnosis through newborn screening can save lives by enabling timely treatment – such as antibiotics, malaria prevention and vaccinations – and non-medical interventions. Despite its global impact, access to screening and care remains limited in many countries, making SCD a major public health concern recognised by the UN and WHO.

Market situation

In high-resource countries, newborn screening and proper care have greatly improved life expectancy for people with SCD. But in low-resource settings, scaling up testing and treatment is difficult, meaning millions of children are not tested and therefore those with SCD do not start treatment early.

Standard tests used in many countries rely on expensive equipment and skilled staff, which many low-resource areas cannot afford or support.

Near point-of-care (POC) testing, which takes place where the patient would be treated rather than in a laboratory, offers a more practical alternative, especially in remote regions. Hemex’s Gazelle® device is portable, accurate, and designed for use in these settings, helping make early diagnosis and care more accessible and affordable.

Public health

Africa accounts for around 17% of the world’s population and around 25% of global vaccine demand, yet more than 98% of vaccines used on the continent are imported. This dependence on overseas manufacturing leaves countries vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains and limits regional resilience during health emergencies.

Strengthening vaccine manufacturing in Africa is a priority for governments, donors and global health organisations, since the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks of relying heavily on imported products.

Market situation

Vaccine manufacturing in Africa remains a small and emerging industry. African manufacturers must compete with large global suppliers that have established production facilities, lower costs and the ability to manufacture at scale. This makes it harder for individual African suppliers to secure the long-term finance needed to expand, and harder for the wider industry to develop the breadth of capabilities required for resilient regional supply.

Much of Africa’s current vaccine manufacturing is focused on fill and finish, with fewer manufacturers covering a broader manufacturing spectrum. Building end-to-end capability, including drug substance production, can take many years and requires significant investment, technology transfer and specialist expertise.