The Medical Director of Pfizer, Dr Kodjo Soroh has said that the high death rate of sickle cell patients across the county can be prevented through proper management and increased disease awareness programmes in rural areas.
Dr Soroh said this at the three-day conference organised by the Sickle Cell Support Society of Nigeria (SCSSN), supported by Pfizer held in Enugu.
The theme of the conference: ‘Reducing the burden of Sickle Cell disease in our communities’ was anchored on raising awareness for sickle cell disease (SCD); increasing the understanding of the disease among the communities health workers, to review the activities of the society since the last one held was two years ago, with a view to hearing from SCSSN members who were sponsored on scholarship to pursue their post-graduate degrees in Brazil.
And to also outline research and training priorities, update knowledge about the different aspects of the pathophysiology and management of sickle cell and to hold a meeting of the West African Sickle Cell Network.
Dr Soroh said Pfizer will continue to support activities on how policies can be improved to adequately impact on sickle cell patients.
He said, “There is no way Government can better manage the situation without making policies that will guarantee treatment for people with the disease. This is why Pfizer as a major sponsor for the 2017 SCSSN conference has expressed their commitment to partner with Government and stakeholders that are willing to make feasible policies towards reducing the burden of sickle cell in the country.”
The keynote speaker, Professor of Haematology at the Muhumbili University of Tanzania Lucio Luzzatto was in agreement with the call by stakeholders for the government to pass a bill on sickle cell control and management to better ensure the life of the people living with the sickle cell disorder.
A professor of Paediatric Haematology and Chairman, Sickle Cell Support Society of Nigeria, Professor Adekunle Adekile also called on the Government to support the Sickle Cell Society in order to reduce the burden of the disease in the communities. He identified poor leadership on the part of the Government as being responsible for the snail paced action on Sickle Cell in the country and called on the National Assembly to revisit the Sickle Cell Act brought before the house four years ago with a view to passing it.
“The chunk of the problem lies with the Government because, over the years, they have paid lip service to Sickle Cell Disease control and management. The Government should make policies on SCD a serious one so that life of patients can be ensured. The National Assembly should revisit and possibly pass the Sickle Cell Act to ensure that people with the disease are covered”, he said.
Adekile said sickle cell is a disease that is common all over the world, particularly in Nigeria which has the largest burden with a total number of 1,500 children born every year with the disease. Adekile said that the problem of a Sickle cell is pervasive and many of the patients live in the rural areas, pointing out that the care in the tertiary or secondary centres is not enough. He regretted that the Government has not paid adequate attention to tackling Sickle Cell Disease noting that the disease cannot be controlled until a comprehensive National Policy for the Control and management of the patients is introduced
On her part, the Director, Corporate Affairs Pfizer for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mrs Maggie Olele said the community networking is critical to achieving the aim of reducing the burden of Sickle Cell in our communities. She noted that Sickle Cell is not a death sentence even as she advised parents to always identify with organisations that are committed to tackling the scourge.
Director, Comprehensive Sickle Cell Centre in Ghana, Professor Kwaku Frempong said that most people who are born with Sickle Cell disease in Africa are not diagnosed and many of them die as children. He observed that Government are not aware of the impact of SCD on childhood mortality while noting that there is no country in the whole of Africa that has programmes for new born screening.
“Our Government must step up measures and provide some supplements so that people can be treated as the medical cost is usually beyond what people can manage,” he said.
The Marketing Officer of Assene-Laborex Limited, a subsidiary of Biomedomics, Pharm Santos Onuigbo, charged young people to know their genotype early enough before going into marriage.
