Erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in West Africa.

Abstract

EVIDENCE is accumulating that sex-linked inherited deficiency of erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is common in Central Africa. Frequencies of 15–30 per cent have been recorded in males living in malarious parts of the Belgian Congo1, Nigeria2 and East Africa3. In non-malarious parts of East Africa frequencies of 3 per cent or less have been found3, and in South African Bantu the frequency is about 2 per cent4.