Genetic Epidemiology of Haemoglobin S, C, and G6PD Deficiency Among Ethnic Groups in Benue State, North Central Nigeria

This study investigates the genetic epidemiology of haemoglobin S (HbS), haemoglobin C (HbC), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency among three major ethnic groups (Tiv, Idoma, and Igede) in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, addressing a fundamental gap in population genetics data for these inherited red cell disorders in the state. Understanding the distribution of these traits across ethnic groups is essential for targeted public health interventions. A cross-sectional genetic epidemiology study recruited 600 participants (200 per ethnic group) from community settings in three local government areas. HbS and HbC were determined by HPLC, and G6PD enzyme activity was measured by quantitative spectrophotometric assay. HPLC results were confirmed by Gap-PCR for positive samples. HbAS gene frequency differed significantly across ethnic groups: 19.2 percent in Tiv, 16.8 percent in Idoma, and 12.4 percent in Igede. HbAC carrier frequency was low across all groups (below 3%). G6PD deficiency (activity below 30% of normal) was found in 14.8 percent of Tiv males, 11.2 percent of Idoma males, and 8.6 percent of Igede males. Co-inheritance of HbAS and G6PD deficiency was identified in 3.4 percent of all participants, creating a compounded haematological risk. These data represent the first ethnic-stratified genetic epidemiology report for these disorders from Benue State. Keywords: haemoglobin S, G6PD deficiency, genetic epidemiology, ethnic groups, Benue State.