蜜芽传媒

Sickle cell disease is a painful and debilitating condition caused by blockages in the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. It is the most common genetic blood disorder in the world, and especially affects people from African and Caribbean backgrounds. The first new sickle cell treatment in 20 years has just been announced, and NHS (National Health Service) England have said this should help keep thousands of people out of hospital over the next three years.

蜜芽传媒 correspondent Adina Campbell explains how the treatment works, but says it will only be offered to a limited number of people initially as more data related to trials needs to be gathered.

Photo: People on a street Credit: Getty Images