Dr Maureen Achebe, Clinical Director of Haematology Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has highlighted the latest solutions to sickle cell disease, which affects approximately 150,000 Nigerian newborns annually, making Nigeria the country with the highest incidence of the disease.
She made this known on June 10 while delivering a public lecture on ‘The Evolving Therapeutic Landscape in Sickle Cell Disease’ organised by the Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training (CESRTA) at the University of Abuja. She said, “Nigeria carries the highest burden of sickle cell disease in the world. 300,000 babies are born every year in Africa, in Sub-Saharan Africa, with sickle cell disease. 150,000 of those babies are born in Nigeria.
“Our concern about sickle cell disease is because under-five mortality is 50 to 80%. Most of the babies that are born in Nigeria with sickle cell disease today will die before their fifth birthday. Moreover, there are things that we can do to make that better”, she stated. Achebe emphasised the importance of understanding the scientific basis of the disease to promote awareness, acceptance, and effective management. She added that babies will undergo newborn screening to detect if they have the disease.
She said, “Newborn screening identifies babies who have sickle cell disease so that we can give them the few therapies that will make a significant difference in their lives. We need to prevent pneumonia, malaria, and other diseases, and provide vaccinations to protect against them. We need to give them folic acid. These things will make a significant difference.”
Contributing to the conversation, Professor Patricia Lar, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, noted that voluntary premarital screening makes a significant contribution to preventing sickle cell disease. Professor Obiageli Nnodu, CESRTA Director, emphasised that a collaborative effort involving increased awareness, research, and access to quality healthcare for those affected can help address the issue.
Nnodu emphasised the centre’s willingness to promote education, provide care, and push for policies that support affected families.
