Statistics have shown that out of 300,000 babies born every year globally with severe haemoglobin disorder, otherwise called sickle cell disorder, Nigeria accounts for almost half of the share with an estimated 150,000 babies born with sickle cell anaemia.

Speaking at an event to commemorate 2022 Sickle Cell awareness month in Ilorin on Thursday, the wife of Kwara State governor, Ambassador Dr Olufolake Abdulrazaq, advocated pre-marital genotype screening and pre-marriage counselling to reduce the number of affected people.

The wife of the governor, who said that sickle cell disease cannot be cured in many cases, added that lifelong treatment and monitoring are needed.

Dr Abdulrazaq also said that Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month is a time to acknowledge challenges faced by people living with sickle cell disease and to reaffirm collective commitment to increasing advocacies that would ensure that they are able to access quality and affordable treatment options, support and care.

“While research and innovation have led to medical advances that provide a wide array of treatments for improving the prognosis of children living with Sickle Cell Disease, many can be used only for a specific subset of patients. Far too many patients who could benefit from treatments such as stem cell or bone marrow transplants are not identified until they have already experienced a debilitating medical episode that causes irreversible organ damage; incidentally, most of these treatment options are not accessible to most sickle cell warriors around.

“The health, social and economic burden of sickle cell on the people living with the disease is quite debilitating, the occasion of this year's Sickle Cell awareness month, however, brings to the fore the need to educate and sensitize our people on the need to present themselves for testing and eschew all manner of stigmatisation against people living with the disease.

“It is in this regard that my office and the Ajike People Support Centre have adopted sensitisation and awareness of our people towards ensuring that they are equipped with knowledge about the disease and its management while sustaining a continued campaign for genotype testing,” she said.

The Kwara State First Lady, who said more than 200 sickle cell warriors in the state had enjoyed health insurance cover through her pet project, Ajike People Support Centre, added that her office had also amplified awareness of the disease.

She also recognised the efforts of the Kwara State government for its favourable disposition to the support and care of people living with Sickle Cell Disease.

Highlights of the event, witnessed by members of business and professional groups, were playlets, dance drama and singing on sickle cell disease awareness and stigmatization.