High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Hemoglobinopathy is a kind of genetic defect that results in abnormal structure of one of the globin chains of the hemoglobin molecule. Hemoglobinopathies are inherited single-gene disorders; in most cases, they are inherited as autosomal co-dominant traits. Common hemoglobinopathies include sickle-cell disease. It is estimated that 7% of worlds population (420 million) are carriers, with 60% of total and 70% pathological being in Africa. Hemoglobinopathies are most common in ethnic populations from Africa, the Mediterranean basin and Southeast Asia.