Science Summit at UNGA: Hybrid Event (21 September 2023)

Sickle Cell Disease: Gene Therapy to Improve Health and Cure Disease
"...The event speakers will feature national and global leaders in SCD-focused biomedical research, and health. The event will serve to educate a diverse audience of stakeholders on current research efforts underway and to foster dialogue that will inform strategies for accelerating SCD-focused science, promoting development of research infrastructure through partnership with global partners, and assuring sustainability of science in improving health of SCD in Africa and globally.

Objectives
The session will:

• Educate stakeholders on state of Sickle Cell Disease with regards to health. This session will provide an overview of the public health magnitude of disease and outline the progress made at global, regional and national level. With both immediate and long-term implications for improving health outcomes.
• Outline the significant progress in science and technology in genomics, gene editing and gene therapy. This session will provide examples of how these advances have launched tremendous potential in, not only improving health, but curing diseases.
  Discuss successful partnerships in science and technology which have transformed health. This session will recommend pragmatic approaches to multi-sectoral and cross-sectoral collaboration that will maximize the quantity and quality of research to address SCD in Africa with an emphasis on conducting research in Africa.
• Recommend Policy and Investment strategies that will facilitate universal access to existing and new technologies.
  Outline how the output of basic biomedical science, including the elucidation of genetic underpinnings of disease, will translate to improved health care. Showcase current efforts to discover definitive gene therapy cures for SCD and explore the anticipated enablers and barriers to achieving widespread access for patients in Africa.