Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has said that the fight against sickle cell anaemia must be a collective effort by all Nigerians.
He stated this on Monday during a visit to the Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation in Abuja, as part of activities marking his 67th birthday celebrations.
“Considering the fact that sickle cell anaemia remains the number two killer of children after malaria, it is important that the whole society rises in unison to confront the danger that sickle cell poses to our society,” Abubakar said.
“Because these children are our future, we must not relent in our effort to ensure that every obstacle that stands in the way of their growing into adulthood is effectively removed.”
The Turaki Adamawa was particularly touched at the condition of a 13-year-old, John Moses, who in spite of his age could not stand on his feet.
Atiku, who made a donation of N3million, appealed to other rich individuals in the country, government and corporate organisations to similarly support Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation and other sickle cell combating organisations in Nigeria.
Founder of the foundation, Hajja Rabi Maidunama, thanked Abubakar for identifying with the sickle cell children on his birthday anniversary.
She said that sufficient attention is not being accorded the fight against the scourge, saying “Sickle cell has remained an abandoned disease in the country.”
The founder called on all concerned to also assist the foundation in its fight to stamp out sickle cell disease in Nigeria.
Rabi, who is also a sickle cell patient and lost a sister to the disease, regretted that over 150,000 babies are born annually with the scourge, saying it is the second highest killer of children below 5years after Malaria.
On his part, consultant to the foundation, Mr. Oluwatobi Ogunbayo said government policy towards eradicating sickle cell disease in Nigeria needs a review.
“To achieve the said Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets of 2015 which specifically emphasized child mortality reduction, sickle cell must be given full attention,” he said.
“Nigeria should have a policy that supports every sickle cell patient, while the African Union must come up with a workable framework to tackle the disease.”
Ogunbayo further praised Atiku Abubakar for showing love to the patients on his birthday and donating to the course of the struggle.
Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation was established in 2007 to alleviate the plight of those suffering from the disease.
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