Service provision for sickle-cell disease: school-based education.

Screening and genetic counselling for individuals at risk of having children affected by sickle-cell disease are often limited to the antenatal period. Only in rare situations of innovation are school children informed of the potential risk that this disorder can pose for them in the future. School children should receive instruction about the possible risks and effects of sickle-cell disorders as part of a health education programme, to enable them to make informed decisions about their future.