Nigerians have been reminded the importance of Genotype check before marriage as the country joins to the World to commemorate 2022 Sickle Cell Day.
The Founder Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation and the President Pan Africa Sickle Cell Federation, Rabi Maidunama advised couples to know their genotype and be sure they match each other before getting married.
He gave the advice in Abuja at an event to mark this year’s Sickle Cell Day.
One of the activities to mark this year’s world sickle cell day was a five kilometer walk organised by Maidunama Sickle cell foundation to sensitize the public on the deadly disease and how to prevent it.
Other highlights of the event was blood donations, testing, genotype checking and education on the type of match of genotype before marriage to avoid the increase of Sickle cell disease.
Maidunama said the walk was to raise awareness of Sickle Cell and to remind the general public about the scourge as it is not something to be ignored.
She said; “We want people to be aware of it, that is a medical condition and its preventable, our flyers carries genotype compatibility, either you are AS or AS, carriers of sickle cell should not get married, that is what we have been sensitizing people. We also have a stand here for genotype test for those who don’t know their genotype and at the same time, we are celebrating warriors, that’s why there’s a lot of dancing and merriment,” She explained.
A medical practitioner, Dr Jeremiah David who was at the event talked about his experiences in managing sickle cell and gives his advice.
“If they can actually ensure that they are properly hydrated, they take a lot of fluid, you see children as we advise a lot of them to have bottle water each time so that they can have enough water, we also advised them to take drugs that will ease the pains,” he said.
One of the sickle cell warriors, a 34 year old King Aba, said the only way to prevent the menace is to appropriate a bill that would stop genotype incompatibility during marriage and more sensitization in rural areas.
And said; “So far there is a lot of coalition between sickle cell NGO’s that are working towards a bill that will prohibit AS and AS couple from getting married, a lot of churches have embodied that and have enforced it, any intending couple usually come with their genotype test to prove that they are compatible, so I believe that if the government passed it into law, we will be able to take it up from there.”
World Sickle Cell Day is a day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness of the disease at a national and international level.
On 22nd December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognised sickle cell disease as a public health problem and “one of the world’s foremost genetic diseases.”
The resolution calls for members to raise awareness of sickle cell on June 19th of each year at national and international level.
Patients with sickle cell disease have sickle-shaped red blood cells, which can clump together and prevent blood and oxygen from reaching all regions of the body. It is a blood condition that is passed down from generation to generation.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with the disease may experience pain, anemia, infection, and other serious health complications that may necessitate medical attention.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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