SICKLE CELL AWARENESS MONTH

That this House commends the work of the Sickle Cell Society in its efforts to launch and raise awareness in July 2006 of this most debilitating of conditions, and of new screening facilities now available across the country through the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia screening programme; notes that as a genetic disorder, sickle cell can affect anyone, but disproportionately impacts on specific, minority groups, particularly Black Caribbean, Black African and Black British communities; recognises that this chronic condition can often leave the sufferer in immense amounts of pain and that in England, sickle cell is one of the most common inherited genetic disorders, with around 12,500 people currently living with the condition, and over 240,000 carriers; and further recognises the extremely important work the Sickle Cell Society does in assisting people with sickle cell disorders to achieve their full economic and social potential.