Sickle Cell Disease Eradication Initiative (SCDEI) in Yobe, an NGO, has appealed to governments and non-governmental organisations for support to mitigate rising cases of sickle cell in the state.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Damaturu, its Executive Director, Dr Aliyu Usman, said the support was critical to its planned genotype testing in the 17 local government areas of the state.
He expressed concerns that Yobe has the highest sickle cell prevalence rate of 32.6 per cent in Nigeria, according to the 2013 National Sickle Cell Survey.
Usman said the SCDEI had registered 562 sickle cell patients in five of the 11 wards in Damaturu, adding that the registration would be expanded to the entire state with available resources.
Sickle Cell is a hereditary disease prominent in children whose both parents have ‘AS’ genotype.
Usman noted that sickle cell could be tackled through premarital genotype testing and counselling, screening of new born babies and massive awareness campaigns.
He told NAN that support given to sickle cell patients would mitigate under-five mortality and check their persistent complications like anaemia, palpitation, and joint and bone pains.
He said the SCDEI had developed a strategic plan to build the capacity of health educators to improve patients’ care.
He added that sickle cell patients’ caregivers would also be empowered with vocational skills and financial literacy support in the next five years.
“To achieve this goal, implementation strategy of SCDEI activities shall be carried out in a systematic manner using responsible speed.
“Our intervention shall be based on researched facts and information.
“Our organisation’s development strategy in strengthening health educators shall focus on required competencies, systems and resource mobilisation strategies to deliver premarital genotype counselling and testing.
“The improved sickle cell disease patients’ care shall focus on provision of accessible blood bank and transfusion services.
“This will be at affordable or free treatment services through policy advocacy and strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.
“The livelihood strategy shall also focus on the provision of sustainable vocational skills, entrepreneurship skills and enhanced accessibility to credit and financial support for families and caregivers,” he said
Usman called on governments, the media and community leaders to help in taking the campaign against sickle cell to the grassroots.
“Many people do not believe in the existence of sickle cell.
“Lack of awareness among local health policymakers and the public has resulted in sickle cell becoming the commonest inherited disorder in the world with 75 per cent of cases occurring in Africa.
“Nigeria contributes about half of the estimated 300,000 new-borns with sickle cell disorder annually.
“This causes immense suffering to patients, their families and caregivers,’’ Usman stressed. (NAN)
