‘Increase awareness on sickle cell’

Medical personnel under the aegis of Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation have called 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, Nigeria 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 spread of sickle cell. The disease is deadly and costs the parents a lot of money.

“Today’s 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 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 test, said close to a quarter of the nation’s population faced the risk of contracting 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,” she said.