SICKLE CELL ANEMIA TESTING AND SCREENING MARKET Challenges and Opportunities

One of the major challenges faced by the global sickle cell anemia testing and screening market is the high costs associated with advanced diagnostic technologies. The gold standard tests for confirming sickle cell anemia diagnosis such as high-performance liquid chromatography and electrophoresis require expensive equipment and reagents. Moreover, these tests need to be performed in well-equipped centralized diagnostic laboratories which makes them unsuitable for point-of-care applications. The high cost of testing hinders the widespread adoption of sickle cell disease screening, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria and India where the disease burden is greatest.

Market Opportunity - Advancements in genetic testing and point-of-care diagnostics

One of the major opportunities in the global sickle cell anemia testing and screening market is the advancements in genetic testing and point-of-care diagnostics. Many Researchers are working on developing reliable and affordable genetic testing approaches using polymerase chain reaction and isothermal amplification methods. This helps enable simple molecular analysis directly from whole blood samples removing the need for complex extraction and purification procedures. Innovative technologies like lateral flow assays and microfluidic paper-based devices are enabling the development of affordable point-of-care test kits for sickle cell anemia, enhancing diagnostic capabilities in low-resource primary care settings.