Epidemiology of sickle cell disease in Iraq (2010–2015): Incidence, age-standardized rates, and emerging nanotechnology-based diagnostic perspectives

Abstract

Public health care concerns patients with sickle cell anemia, which has been classified under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) as sickle cell disorders (D57). This group requires special care due to the extent of patient suffering and the likelihood of survival, as well as protection from all types of environmental and biological contamination they may be exposed to as a result of blood transfusions, which could be life-threatening. Therefore, this group of patients requires high levels of specialized healthcare, including tracking cases and deaths, providing care centres, treating pain, and improving their quality of life. In this study, we address some aspects of healthcare for sickle cell disorders patients in Iraq, related to the registration of disease cases according to (ICD-10). This is achieved by calculating the age-standardized rate (ASR) per 100,000, a rare measure for sickle cell disorders, and calculating the incidence rate between males and females. The other part is calculating the percentage for the period (2010-2015). In addition to conventional epidemiological surveillance, recent advances in nanotechnology offer promising tools for the early diagnosis, monitoring, and management of sickle cell disease (SCD). Nanotechnology-based biosensors, nanoparticle-assisted hemoglobin detection, and nano-enabled imaging platforms have demonstrated high sensitivity in detecting hemoglobin variants and cellular deformability associated with SCD. Integrating population-level epidemiological data with emerging nanotechnological approaches may enhance early detection strategies, improve disease monitoring, and support targeted interventions in high-burden regions such as Iraq.