“The campaign puts a face on a disease most have heard of but few truly understand,” stated DPH Commissioner Dr. J. Robert Galvin.  “Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) often disrupts daily living with illness, pain, trips to emergency departments, stigma and a compromised quality of life.  It can lead to a number of medical complications including stroke, acute chest syndrome and organ damage.” 

SCD is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders.  Sickle red blood cells become hard, sticky and shaped like sickles used to cut wheat.  When these hard and pointed red cells go through the small blood tube, they clog the flow and break apart.  This can cause pain and a low blood count or anemia.  In the United States, sickle cell anemia is most prevalent in African-Americans, occurring in about 1 in every 500 African-American children.  To date in Connecticut, newborn screenings have identified over 374 babies with the disease and 11,930 with the trait.”

Materials produced included three television and radio public services announcements featuring real people living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), posters suitable for billboards and transit buses, and other informational resources.  The campaign targets individuals living with SCD and their families as well as medical, civil, social and religious leaders who can affect Sickle Cell care, funding and support. 

The American Marketing Association is a professional association for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide.  The association presents the awards annually to honor individuals or organizations whose marketing efforts were successfully implemented in 2007. 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state.  To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.

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