Medical Personel under the aegis of Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation have for increased awareness on sickle cell disorder in the country in order to reduce the spread.

 

The group made the call in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday during the 2013 World Sickle Cell day with the theme "Awareness as a tool for the prevention and control of sickle cell disease.

 

Former Chairman, National Medical Association in Oyo State, Prof. Millicent Obajinmi, said citizens should be properly educated on the need to do genotype test, stressing that many living with the disease were ignorant of it.

 

She said, "This is responsible for the spread of sickle cell. The disease is deadly and costs the parents a lot of money. Todays effort is one of the global awareness programmes. Today being the World Sickle Cell Day, we are talking about the fact that decision makers sweep the rule under the carpet as if they are not concerned. This should not be so, Nigeria has not less than 140million people and they should not perpetually be kept in the dark on hte fact about the disease. There should be awareness and screening so that our people would be knowledgeable. Many still hold the erroneous belief that it is spiritual, tradition or caused by witchcraft. we should create awareness about sickle cell the same way we created awareness on HIV/AIDS"

 

A Public Health Consultant, Dr Taiwo Aderemi, who dwelled on the need for all to carry out blood tests, said close to a quarter of the nations population faces the risk of contacting sickle cell disorder.

 

President, Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation, Prof. Adeyinka Falusi said approximately 40 million Nigerians had the AS genotype. "Our concern today is on SS, SC, and AS heamoglobin types among Nigerians. One can be SS as a result of inherited  genes from both parents irrespective of religion, political class and education" 

 

By Akinwale Abiodun

 

 

150,000 Nigerian children born annually with sickle cell

 

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said Nigeria has the highest burden of sickle-cell anaemia with over 150,000 children born annually with it.

 

He said this during the 2013 Sickle Cell Summit held in Lagos to mark the world’s Sickle Cell Day organised by Dabma Sickle Cell Foundation in partnership with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values.

 

Speaking on the theme, ‘Know your Sickle Cell Status’, Okowa explained that “the sickle cell is a genetic disorder with a high prevalence in our country, Nigeria.”

 

He added, “The prevalence rate here recently is about two per cent and a carrier rate of about 20 per cent. And close to 50 per cent of these children die before the age of five. We obviously have a huge burden on our hands as a nation.”

 

Okowa, who was represented by a former Delta State Commissioner for Transport, Chief Lawrence Osiegbu, however, admitted that knowing one’s genotype was one of the sure ways of preventing and controlling the burden of the disorder.

 

The senator further reiterated the commitment of his committee to the nation’s health care delivery system, saying  “a Bill for an Act to prevent, control and manage Sickle Cell Disorder is being sponsored and it is our hope that the legislation will impact on our people’s life.”

 

On his part, Chairman of the foundation, Pastor Emmanuel Ibekwe, said June 19 was a day set aside by the United Nations to mark the world’s Sickle Cell day, calling for a concerted effort in the fight against the disease.

 

He said, “The awareness about sickle cell disorder has suffered tremendously. I appeal to corporate organisations to be involved in the fundraising for the victims of sickle cell.”

 

In his lecture, a Professor of Anatomy and Consultative Reproductive Endocrinologist, Oladapo Ashiru, noted that sickle-cell couples could breed normal children through the test-tube way, while stating that Nigeria recorded the first breakthrough in 1989 under his team.

 

Punch