Educational and Supportive Center for
Hemoglobinopathies  -  CEHMOB-MG

The Educational and Supportive Center for Hemoglobinopathies (CEHMOB-MG) was settled in State of Minas Gerais (Brazil) in December 2004, with approval and funding from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. It can be considered a unification of Minas Gerais’ wide several-year long technical-scientific experience in the diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and care to people with sickle cell disease and also in the research on hemoglobinopathies.

CEHMOB aims at promoting comprehensive health-care services to sickle cell patients, by means of education, information and social support. It acts throughout the State of Minas Gerais, focusing on informative and educative aspects of the disease and also training health professionals from both primary and emergency health units of the State.

Sickle Cell disease particularly affects black population and is regarded one of the most frequent genetic disorders in Brazil and in the world. Minas Gerais was the first Brazilian State to screen children for this disease and other hemoglobinopathies, owing to the establishment of the Neonatal Screening Program for Sickle Cell Disease in 1998.

To meet the purpose of fostering professional education, CEHMOB-MG carries out several courses, seminars, meetings and teleconferences to several health professionals throughout Minas Gerais. Owing to this kind of training, the “Protocol of Attendance to Sickle Cell Disease Acute Events” was developed to show attendance behavior step by step.

CEHMOB-MG also builds up knowledge on sickle cell disease. Besides contributing with novel research focusing on clinical and biological aspects of the disease, CEHMOG-MG also develops research on particular social and psychological aspects of sickle cell disease as a means to improve education and attendance to sickle cell patients in Brazil.

CEHMOB-MG is a result of a partnership among the following institutions: Ministry of Health, Special Secretariat of Politics of Promotion for Racial Equality (SEPPIR), Support Diagnosis Center from Faculty of Medicine - UFMG (NUPAD/FM/UFMG), Health State Secretariat, Blood Bank Foundation from Minas Gerais State (HEMOMINAS), Health Municipal Secretariat of Belo Horizonte, and a non-governmental organization of parents, friends and sickle cell patients (DREMINAS).

The union of these institutions allows for better support to sickle cell patients, especially regarding services offered by the Single Health System (SUS). This partnership grants access to tests and medicines and assures personalized and multi-professional consultation. The partnership between CEHMOB-MG and DREMINAS is crucial to promote social care.

Aiming at granting the access of patients, family, students and health professionals to basic and advanced information on sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies, a Call Center is fully operating at 0800-722-6500.