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Sickle cell disease and costly new treatments (Level A1) — green plant in clear glass vase

Sickle cell disease and costly new treatmentsCEFR A1

25 Feb 2026

LevelA1
A2
B1
B2

Adapted from John Musenze, SciDev • CC BY 2.0

Photo by micheile henderson, Unsplash

Level A1 – Beginner
2 min
73 words
  • Sickle cell is a serious inherited blood disease.
  • Many babies in Africa have this disease.
  • The disease causes pain and health problems for children.
  • Uganda now screens babies for sickle cell at birth.
  • Screening in hospitals is free for newborns now.
  • New gene therapies are approved in rich countries.
  • These therapies use gene editing and cell treatment.
  • The treatments are very expensive and not available locally.
  • Local training and support are needed now.

Difficult words

  • inherit — Passed from parents to a child
    inherited
  • screening — Medical tests to find a disease early
  • newborn — A baby who is just born
    newborns
  • therapy — Medical treatment to help a sick person
    therapies
  • gene — Part of body that carries traits
  • expensive — Costing a large amount of money

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Would you want newborn screening for your baby?
  • Should local health workers get training and support?
  • Do you think gene therapies are too expensive?

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