Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to offer sufficient financial support and counseling services, as well as improved insurance coverage for sickle cell disease patients.
They lamented that the cost of managing sickle cell disease in Nigeria is high and often results in financial hardship for families.
The stakeholders made the call at a ‘heartwarming Gifting Day’ event, organised by the Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation to mark the 11th anniversary of the group.
The ‘Gifting Day’ was aimed at bringing joy and empowerment to sickle cell patients and their caregivers.
The World Health Organisation described sickle cell as a group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down.
According to WHO, the number of people living with sickle cell disease globally increased by 41·4 per cent (38·3–44·9), from 5·46 million (4·62–6·45) in 2000 to 7·74 million (6·51–9·2) in 2021.
In a study titled ‘Advancing Healthcare Outcomes for Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria Using Mobile Health Tools’, an estimated 150,000 babies are born annually in Nigeria with Sickle Cell Disease, with between 70 to 90 per cent of the babies dying before age five.
According to The Lancet, Nigeria is probably the country with the world’s largest population of individuals with sickle cell disease.
It stated that sickle cell disease is recognised as a priority non-communicable disease, adding that the Nigerian government developed guidelines for its prevention and control in 2013.
Speaking at the event, the founder of SCHAF, Professor Gladys Falusi appealed to the government to “provide more support, especially in terms of insurance as the type of care and support sickle cell patients require is a lifetime commitment”.
Falusi, the winner of UNESCO-L’Oreal in 2001 and a professor of Haematology, commended the efforts of the Nigerian government in supporting the sickle cell organisation.
He, however, said she started the foundation in 2012 to increase awareness and improve the quality of care and support for sickle cell patients.
She added that the foundation has since then continued to lay a giant stride in the sickle cell world.
On her part, a Professor of Infectious Disease in Medicine, Professor Oluwatoyin Nwafor urged the government to continue supporting initiatives that help with screening and education around sickle cell disease.
Nwafor, who is also the president of the foundation, added that there are a large number of people who are not aware of how the disease can be managed.
She advised the government to create an empowerment programme and fund research to support those living with the disease.
