PerkinElmer Donation Helps Significantly Expand Capacity for Sickle Cell Disease Screening in Ghana

October 13, 2022 at 08:15 AM EDT

PerkinElmer contributes reliable, fast, and cost-efficient solutions to screen for the disease in collaboration with the Sickle Cell Foundation and Ghana Health Services

PerkinElmer Inc., a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, today announced the Company has donated to Ghana’s Health Services’ initiative to increase the country’s screening of newborns for sickle cell disease (SCD) from its current 4 percent of all babies born in the country to 50 percent by 2030. PerkinElmer’s contribution of easy-to-use, scalable laboratory solutions enables Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana to be a Center of Excellence and National Training Center for SCD newborn screening with the ability to build screening capacity for an additional 50,000 babies annually.

The PerkinElmer-provided Migele^TM Gel Electrophoresis Systems will support Ghana’s need for reliable, fast, and cost-efficient SCD screening. With the government’s desire to enact a country-wide screening program, the PerkinElmer solution’s flexible and scalable design can meet growing high-capacity requirements as screening coverage and sample volumes increase.

“PerkinElmer is committed to helping the government of Ghana develop sustainable end to end solutions that focus on screening and diagnosis, in addition to comprehensive care for SCD,” said Marika Kase, business director, reproductive health at PerkinElmer. “We would like to congratulate Ghana Health Services and the Sickle Cell Foundation for the milestones gained so far, in advancing the diagnosis and care of patients with the disease in the country. We hope that this donation will facilitate development of Ghana’s SCD screening program and will therefore improve the lives of children in the region.”

As part of its commitment to the Sub-Saharan African region, PerkinElmer, together with the Novartis Africa Sickle Cell Disease program, is aiming to expand advocacy efforts to educate patients, caregivers and communities about the importance of newborn screening and early intervention with hydroxyurea (HU) and other SCD treatments. For more information on PerkinElmer’s newborn screening solutions, visit this webpage.

About PerkinElmer

PerkinElmer is a leading, global provider of end-to-end solutions that help scientists, researchers and clinicians better diagnose disease, discover new and more personalized drugs, monitor the safety and quality of our food, and drive environmental and applied analysis excellence. With an 85-year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team of more than 16,000 collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver reagents, assays, instruments, automation, informatics and strategic services that accelerate workflows, deliver actionable insights and support improved decision making. We are also deeply committed to good corporate citizenship through our dynamic ESG and sustainability programs. The Company reported revenues of approximately $5 billion in 2021, serves customers in 190 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information is available at www.perkinelmer.com. Follow PerkinElmer on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.