A non-governmental organisation, Nirvana Health Anon-governmental has said there are more people living with the sickle cell disease in rural communities than urban centres. This was just as the group called on the government to make genotype testing compulsory.
Coordinator of the NHI, Modupe Babawale, said this recently during a mission to propagate awareness of the SCD in the Igbo Elerin community, Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Babawale, a Sickle Cell Disease survivor, said the group partnered with Access Bank Nigeria and GSK Pharmaceuticals, to provide medical help for the participants.
Explaining the choice of the community, Babawale identified low awareness among rural dwellers as the reason for the prevalence of the disease. She added that four million Nigerians, most of whom weree based in rural areas, were living with the disease.
"It is a rural outreach where we talk to people about sickle cell disease and provide free genotype and blood group test. We are also providing free medication for people affected with the disease. This is our first outreach and we are happy to be well-received by the community members. As at half day, we already counted over 200 participants. People at the rural community lack access to information. "Some of them were initially scared because we had to take their blood samples. But as we proceeded and as they saw some of their people participate, they began to turn up. The outcome has been very encouraging. We ensured that we requested parental consent for children and teenagers below 18.
"There is not a lot of efforts going into Sickle Cell Awareness campaign. First of all, the disease affects about four million Nigerians and this situation is compounded by stigmatisation and misinformation. Of course, there are a lot of organisations working which focus on the disease, but the efforts need to be concentrated under one umbrella. This has been achieved with breast cancer, HIV and polio. At the policy level, I think government should make genotype and blood testing at birth compulsory," she said.
Source: The Punch News
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