Over 5000 children screened of sickle cell disease in Anambra

www.odogwublog.com reports that Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COUTH) today said it has screened over five thousand (5,000) newborn babies of Sickle Cell disorder in the last 5 years in its screening laboratory centre, Awka, Anambra state.

The breakdown of this number screened from 2012 to date, revealed that 4,061 babies were ‘AA’ which represents 79 per cent, 1,001 are ‘AS’ (19.6%) and 38 are ‘SS’

State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, who made the disclosure in his office while interacting with newsmen on this years’ sickle cell day, further revealed that the newborn sickle cell disease (SCD) screening programme was instituted to screen all newborn in the state.

He highlighted that the state government, in collaboration with Global sickle Cell Incorporated, Association of Public Health  Laboratories and its partners, the Nigerian Newborn screening initiative, installed an Iso-electric focusing machine, microscopes, computers and other equipment at the screening laboratory.

The aim, according to the Health commissioner, Dr. Akabuike, is to improve survival and quality of life for children with SCD and establishing standard care that is sustainable through capacity building of service provision, ranging from laboratory diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr. Akabuike, who also claimed that the state government has sickle cell clinics in all the pediatrics units of General hospitals in the state, however warned intending couples to ascertain their genotype before exchanging marital vow to avoid the psychological trauma of raising sickle cell children.

He therefore explained that sickle cell is a blood disorder inherited by a child through both parents, in which there is no enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout the body, adding that its complications include stroke, acute abdomen, severe anemia, delayed growth among others.

He also noted that Sickle cell disease is one of the generic problems that can be managed in steady state and in crisis, warning sicklers not to fall prey in the hands of individuals who claim to have cure for the disorder.
“The only cure is to turn the hemoglobin to ‘AA’, which is not possible. Nobody can cure sickle cell and those claiming to have cure for it are just deceiving people. They don’t even know where the problem lies, the problem is in the red blood cell and these people, I can tell you, don’t even know the shape of normal blood cell. There claim is just a mouthy claim” he said.




Over 5000 children screened of sickle cell disease in Anambra Over 5000 children screened of sickle cell disease in Anambra Reviewed by Unknown on Thursday, June 22, 2017 Rating: 5

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