Minister of Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson says that the sickle cell disease is one of the priority conditions that have been included in the Strategic and National Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) 2013 to 2018.

The health minister noted that the main objective of this endeavour is to strengthen the management of sickle cell disease at the primary, secondary and tertiary care levels by 2018.

"The main targets for achieving these objectives are for 100 per cent of pregnant women and newborns to be screened for sickle cell, guidelines to be completed and published and 90 per cent of health-care workers trained in the management of sickle cell disease," he informed.

Dr Ferguson was speaking at the launch of World Sickle Cell Day held at the Faculty of Law lecture theatre at the University of the West Indies on Friday.

He also pledged the support of the ministry in tackling the disease. "I am now an evangelist for sickle cell disease ... . I feel a sense of excitement knowing that there has been much development taking place as it relates to the early diagnosis of sickle cell disease," he said.

For her part, director of the Sickle Cell Unit, Professor Jennifer Knight-Madden, said that sickle cell is a very common chronic disease affecting one in every 150 babies born.

Screening of newborn babies for sickle cell disease will be made available at all public hospitals across the island.