, a multilingual online platform providing continuing medical education for physicians and health professionals, sickle cell denotes all genotypes containing at least one sickle gene, in which haemoglobin “S” makes up at least half the haemoglobin present.
Experts say sickle cell anaemia can lead to many complications such as stroke, acute chest syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, organ damage, blindness, leg ulcers, pregnancy complications, among others. In countries such as Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana and Nigeria, the prevalence is between 20 to 30 per cent while in some parts of Uganda, the prevalence is said to be as high as 45 per cent.shows that “Nigeria has the highest birth prevalence of sickle cell disease in the world, with an estimated 150,000 annual births of babies with sickle cell anaemia, the most common form of sickle cell disease.
Ms Akinsete, who doubles as the chief executive officer of Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation that is focused on preventive and curative measures for sickle cell disease, said she cannot beat her chest that Nigeria is committed to global policies and programmes aimed at beating the scourge.
Abiola Morakinyo, an SCD sufferer, lamented what he described as the victims’ harrowing experiences for “diseases brought upon them by others.” The sponsor said the bill seeks to curb preventable massive deaths and avoidable hardships caused by the disease, and that such will be achieved “by placing a statutory duty on the federal government to engage in and encourage the prevention, control and management of the occurrence, spread and effect of sickle cell anaemia.”
“Proper sensitisation of the rural dwellers and accessibility of the blood testing services, which this Bill seeks to enhance, will lead to an appreciable reduction in the number of fresh cases in a short time.” “Let them make the decision to either marry each other or not. But it is best they know before they get to that level of marriage.”
He said the state government is working on a major collaboration aimed at screening newborns of sickle cell, which he said would kick off in October in the state. Mrs Akinsete said; “So you need to set up a drip for them and observe them for the day. For the usual daily medication, it’s folic acid every day. Folic acid is hematinic; that is one thing that helps to build blood.