Sickle Cell: Nigerians urged to embrace voluntary genotype testing to reduce spread

Nigerians have been urged to embrace voluntary genotype testing before marriage in order not to give birth to children with sickle cell anemia, while Families  are also encouraged to make themselves available for their Sickle Cell screening for early detection and enrollment for care.

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The Director, University of Abuja, Center of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training, Professor Obiageli Nnodu made a plea at a workshop on New Born Screening in Abuja, Nigeria.

The university of Abuja Center of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training in collaboration with the federal capital Territory Administration, organized a sensitization workshop on the importance of sickle cell screening of babies.

According to the The Director of the Center, Professor Obiageli Nnodu, “Nigeria is ranked high in the Sickle Cell disease bearing under-five mortality burden in Africa.”

She said, “any country that do not identify new born Screening for Sickle Cell will not achieve the health related sustainable development goals”.

She also called for “better awareness and collaboration among stakeholders”.

Professor Nnodu noted that her centre is providing free genotype testing and screening of babies free of charge in the FCT and promised to do more collaboration.

In a remark, the acting executive secretary FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr Ndaeyo Iwot, advocated for the need for compulsory genotype testing before marriage.

He said’ “the FCT will continue to collaborate and provide support facilities for sample collection to the Center of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training University of Abuja.”

The Vice chancellor University of Abuja, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah called for the incorporation of sickle cell care into the primary health care system.

The Vice chancellor promised that “the institution will continue to support students who are sickle cell warriors to achieve their dreams.”