We have studied To study the incidence of hemoglobinopathies (Hb C and Hb S) we have examined in 15,367 students, aged 11.4+/−4.64 years (median 11; range 1–26), living in Burkina Faso (12,019 were students of 23 public schools of Ouagadougou and 3348 students of 7 public schools situated in six villages about 12–35 Km from Ouagadougou).

In all groups studied, β S and β C gene frequencies were age dependent there was an age dependency of the β S and β C gene frequencies, since the advantage of HbS carriers in a malarial region is prevalently expressed in the first years of life. In fact, β C the gene frequency of β C increases, and the β S decreases with age. The Mossi, living prevalently mainly in Ouagadougou, show a gene frequency which is similar to the Bissa ethnic groups, where the C gene frequencies (0.116 and 0.118) wereare more higher than the S (0.049 and 0.044 respectively). On the contrary in the Peuhl ethnic group the β C and β S gene frequencies (0.049 and 0.049) were are the same, while in the Yorouba ethnic group immigrated from Nigeria a prevalence of β S gene frequency is higher (0.117) than over the β C (0.068)gene frequencies was found in the Yorouba ethnic group, who is immigrated from Nigeria, showing that different gene frequencies are found in different ethniae ethnic groupscorrespond to different gene frequencies.

β C genotype; β S genotype; prevalence; fitness; Burkina Faso; school survey; anthropological considerations