A Professor of Haematology and President, Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF), Adeyinka Falusi has said that about four million Nigerians are currently suffering from Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Adeyinka who disclosed this at the Achievers Private University in Owo during its 7th matriculation lecture, also said over 40 million Nigerians have AS genotypes, while 66 to 72 per cent of the country’s population is AA.
She said it disease was one of the problematic issues facing the nation, blaming the federal government for poor sensitization exercise.
Falusi warned that the population of SCD patients would continue to rise as long as the 40million AS people continue to marry each other.
The Professor said “today’s discussion centres on SCD because it is the most prevalent disease in Nigeria with 2-3 per cent of 167 million people affected (about 4million). It is the most problematic disorder for several reasons as will be enumerated. Over 150,000 SCD children are born annually and 100,000 children and adult are affected die annually.
“At least 40 million Nigerians have sickle cell trait and if they continue to inter-marry, with all caution thrown to the wind, then the chicken will come home to roost with many more Nigerians bearing the burden of SCD.
Falusi observed that Nigeria is one of the countries in the world that has the largest number of SCD patients, adding that the population grows due to what she described as government’s nonchalant attitude towards those patients and inability to encourage parents to check the status of their children at the age of six months.
She said “our government does not bother on how to tackle this problem. Look at Ghana, they are far from us on this. There is an amount of fund budgeted for this health disease. There are some countries in the world whose population of SCD patient is like ours, but today, they have been able to reduce this population. In Nigeria, there is nothing like that, government should rise up and ensure it fight against this disease”.
“I am advising the government to have a comprehensive SCD prevention program that benefits from the full range of up-to-date scientific information concerning inheritance patterns, prevention approaches, and structured management of the disease. They also need to embark on sensitization, particularly for the people in rural areas. Also, the NGOs should facilitate training of trainers workshops for students, artisan and professional groups.
The University Don also faulted Clerics for demanding for genotype result of couples few months to their wedding.
She noted that the encouragement of such was one of the reasons why population of SCD patients is so high in the country.
Her words, “Clerics should train the youth and ensure that they know their status as early as 14 years or before that age, rather than waiting for the day of their marriage. No Pastor has the authority to cancel a marriage. That is why, today we have the youth forging the results of their genotype in order to please their Pastors.
Comments