Background: Haemoglobinopathies are inherited disorders of haemoglobin synthesis that are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality all over the world. Communities in Africa constitute a major part of the population that is vulnerable to many erythrocytic hereditary and haematological disorders. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence/spectrum of haemoglobin variants among 400 subjects of African descent resident in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria.

Methods: Standard alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoretic technique using the Shandon electrophoretic tank with tris-ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) borate buffer was employed for the determination of abnormal haemoglobin variants.

Results: Four hundred subjects of African descent with mean age of 38.4±12.8 years comprising 121 males (30.25%) and 279 (69.75%) females with a mean age 38.4±2.8 years constituted the subjects for this prospective case study. The prevalence based on age groups indicated that the prevalence of HbAA was highest in the 11-20 years age group while HbAS, HbAC, HbSC and HbSS (35%, 8.5%, 2.25%, 0.75%, and 4.25%) prevalence was highest among subjects<10 years old. The percentage distribution of different forms of haemoglobin (Hb) among the subjects was; Hb AA 280(70%); HbAS 93(23.25%); HbAC 5(1.25%); HbSC 3(0.75%) and HbSS 19(4.75%). Among the male subjects, 93(67.9%) were HbAA, 18(14.9%) were HbAS; 1(0.83%) were HbAC; 1(0.83%) were HbSC and 8(6.61%) were HbSS. Among the 279 female subjects, 187(67.02%) were HbAA, 75(28.88%) were HbAS; 4(1.43%) were HbAC; 2(0.72%) were HbSC and 11(3.94%) were HbSS. We observed that all subjects with haemoglobin SS and SC were less than 20 years of age.

Conclusion: This research indicates a high prevalence of haemoglobin variants in the study population. We recommend that carrier screening and mutation identification be implemented as a preventative measure. There is need for the formulation of genetic counseling policies to provide evidenced- based information to enable prospective couples make informed decisions aimed at reducing the incidence of haemoglobinopathies in Sokoto in particular and Nigeria in general.