Dr. Angella D. Ferguson, a pediatrician whose groundbreaking research aided in the early diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell anemia, a painful and deadly disease that disproportionately afflicts people of African descent, died on Jan. 6 at her home in Chevy Chase, Md. She was 100. Her death was confirmed by her nephew Roger W. Ferguson Jr. , an economist and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. Dr.
Ferguson was one of a small group of pediatricians — including Yvette Fay Francis-McBarnette and Doris Wethers — who as Black women physicians were rarities for their time, and who as researchers focused on sickle cell, a field that many white clinicians had overlooked. About 100,000 Americans and more than 7. 7 million people worldwide are affected by sickle cell disease, in which the body produces red blood cells that are stiff and sickle-shaped rather than smooth and round. (Sickle cell anemia is the most common form of the disease.
) The misshapen cells can clog blood vessels and impede the flow of oxygen, damaging organs. About 80 percent of sickle cell cases are believed to occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The condition was first described in the medical literature early in the 20th century, but it was still not well known when Dr. Ferguson and her colleagues began their work several decades later. “Dr. Ferguson’s research changed the landscape for sickle cell diagnosis in children,” the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America wrote in 2021, “and made a huge impact on how we identify and treat S. C. D.
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Market participants and consumers are closely monitoring these developments. This development has drawn significant attention from industry observers and stakeholders alike. Analysts suggest this could have lasting implications for the sector moving forward.
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