The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sickle cell

  • Fed Govt urged to support indigenous sickle cell research

    A natural medicine practitioner, Dr. Solomon Abutoh, has urged the Federal Government to fund indigenous research to address sickle cell disorder (SCD) and leukaemia.

    He said natural medicine practitioners had been conducting researches to ensure that sickle cell, which is predominantly a black man’s condition, is curtailed.

    According to him, bone marrow transplant, which is a medical surgical procedure used in the treatment of many malignant blood diseases, such as sickle cell anaemia and leukemia, involves the use of high doses of chemotheraphy.

    This, he said, may pre-dispose people serious irreversible side effects.

    He continued: “Chemotherapy drugs can completely suppress marrow hematopoiesis (blood forming process) destroying pathological cancerous lesions of healthy areas including, donor material obtained directly from the bone marrow.”

    Other problems associated with bone marrow transplant are rejection of donor cells, arising from genetic incompatibility and lack of donor cells, and need for repeated transplantation.

    Also, there are infectious complications as a result of the complete suppression of blood production process, which reduces the protective abilities of the organism.

    Abutoh described bone marrow transplant procedure as expensive. It ranges from $360,000 (approximate N7,500,000) to $880,000 (approximately N16m) excluding flight tickets of patients and those to accompany them.

    He said not many Nigerians can afford the cost, adding: “medical procedure that has no guarantee against post-surgical relapse or even death”.

    The natural medicine practitioner urged health experts to expedite action on finding the cure. They should, in fact act on a viable, natural solution to the sickle cell and indeed leukemia, he added.

    He said in spite of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Alma Ata declaration of 1978 on primary health care, natural medicine is still relegated.

    He said there were locally made highly effective herbal drugs for the management of sickle cell disease and leukemia. It is also affordable.

  • Hospital partners sickle cell foundation

    Apollo Hospitals, India, has  said it would collaborate with Nigeria in treating sickle cell anaemia and bone marrow transplantation.

    The hospital made this known at a two-day continuous medical education (CME) organised by Diamond Helix Medical Assistance for medical doctors in Lagos.

    A senior oncologist and bone marrow specialist with the hospital, Dr Iyotishankar Raychaudhuri, said the hospital will work with the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria so that patients would not have to travel to India for bone marrow transplant and other sickle cell disease problems.

    He said the capacity of local institutions and experts will be built to develop healthcare in Nigeria.

    Moreover, there will be research and development in sickle cell disease treatment.

    He said although Nigeria is already doing well in its treatment, adding that more can be done as sickle cell is very much a black people’s problem.

    “The condition is predominantly a problem of the black race and Nigeria occupies a sensitive position as the most populous black country in the world,” he said.

    General Manager, Marketing and Strategic Business at Apollo Hospitals, Mr Raj Kr Raina said the collaboration was key to develop the manpower in Nigeria so that they can do clinical.

    He said Apollo Hospitals will some day be able to transfer some technologies to Nigeria.

    “We have been able to do facelift and hair transplantation, among other cosmetic and beauty procedures,” he said.

    This, he said, is novel in beauty treatment.

    “Apollo Hospitals successfully completes Asia’s first en-bloc combined heart and liver transplant; joins a small set of Transplant Centres in the World to have done this.”

    He said hair transplants are safe and may be recommended.

    “There cannot be anything more worrying than seeing you everyday in the mirror minus few hairs. Hair loss is fast becoming the biggest panic creator amongst the young population thanks to the changing lifestyles. Besides, heredity is one of the most common internal causes of hair loss. However, there is a solution in the form of hair transplantation,” Raina said.

    He continued: “Knife-less therapy for timeless beauty may sometimes be necessary. This is an ul-therapy, a non-invasive cosmetic procedure, which gives natural yet noticeable results”.

  • Tips for leukaemia, sickle cell disorder therapy

    When Seun Babalola called me about three weeks ago and asked for first aid therapy for a middle-age sickle cell man in deep crisis, I scribbled a note which formed the basis of today’s column.

    As a note, it cannot be comprehensive. But it should be useful for people who wish to avert a crisis or manage one.

    As I was scribbling the note, a young Mass Communication graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Miss Morayo Fadele, who was in my office, asked if I could broaden the tips to include a therapy for leukaemia (blood cancer).  Her father bowed to this condition a few years ago. And, as she said, she would like to be of help to anyone challenged by it. I apologised that home or clinic therapies for leukaemia would have to wait. But I made a few suggestions which included stinging Nettle, Yarrow, Blood root, Horsetail, wheatgrass, Chlorella etc.

    Leukemia is cancer of the blood. And the blood is the river of life flowing in our blood vessels. The blood has a specific composition. Anything outside this natural formula is at variance with healthy blood and can spell doom. This, constant recomposition of the blood to maintain the natural formula is crucial for averting blood disaster. But before we can recompose, we must clean out foreign elements from the bloodstream. This will lead us to detoxification.  All blood filters in the body must be at work and efficient. The liver, the kidneys, the lungs, the skin and the digestive tract are important for this purpose. Recomposition of the blood must recognise similarities in the green of Chlorophyll, “the blood of plants’’ and the red of hemoglobin, the red pigment of the human blood which transports oxygen the elixir of life. This, chlorophyII and hemoglobin are like two sides of a coin. The structure of cholrophyII is HYDROGEN – NITROGEN – CARBON and OXYGEN. Magnesium binds them together. The structure of hemoglobin is the same, except for iron, and not magnesium, which binds the structure together. The Nobel Prize was awarded to scientists who discovered this similarity. Thus, consuming greens as a salutary effect on the blood. As I always like to see it, taking greens is like recharging the blood as we recharge cell phone credit. The following herbs have been found to dramatically help leukemia cases: Garlic, Olive Leaf Extract, Milk thistle, Licorice, Aloe Vera, Raspberry, Curcumin, Green tea, Ginseng Citrus immature peel (which kills leukemia cells). Hedyotis diffusa- the Chinese remedy reported to be positively effective in killing cancer cell. Hungarian cancer therapist Alexander Ferenezi,in 1950, carried out a study with 22 patients whose cancers where advanced and inoperateable. He added Beet root to their diet for three to four months. All but one of them recovered dramatically. These herbs are set to clean and recompose the blood apart from helping the cancerous cell to commit suicide (apoptosis). The Hungarian study with Beet root, replicated in other countries encourages the use of herbs in leukemia and other cancers. The role of the spleen cannot be underplayed. It is a quality control centre for the blood. Blood cells which fail to pass the test are broken down by macrophages, special defense (immune cells) in the spleen. Thus, if leukemia cells roam free in the blood, the spleen deserve a query. It may be weakened, though, by infections and the generative liver conditions, among other problems.There will still be time for a more comprehensive discussion of leukemia therapies NOW. Seun Babalola, here comes the sickle cell note…

     

    Management of sickle cell anaemia condition

    Treating this condition the natural way involves, as in all health challenges, an understanding of the causes and effects, and consistent efforts to check them. I hope the following explanations and suggestions will help the conditions discussed.

    Explanations and suggestions

    • In sickle cell condition, the red blood cell is sickled, that is curved inwards from the edges or rumpled like rumpled, dry foliage.
    • A normal red blood cell, on the other hand, is flat like a coin.
    • In a rumpled state, the red blood does not enjoy maximum exposure to oxygen in the blood stream. Yet its job is to attract oxygen and take it to all cells for their metabolic and other living processes.

    Deprived of oxygen, the body’s growth is stunted, the immune system functions sub-optimally, microbes overgrow in population, attack and damaged healthy and unhealthy cells. As it is to be expected, the sickle cells cannot adequately defend themselves and, so, do not live beyond about half the lifespan of a normal cell.

    • When the red blood cells die prematurely, they create many health challenges.
    • Even the small amounts of oxygen they can absorb and transport diminished in quantum.That is why there is pain (or cry for oxygen) throughout the body.
    • The bone marrow where red blood cells are produced, comes under pressure to make more red blood cells. Yet it doesn’t have enough oxygen to do this extra job. That, again, is why bone pain is common among sickle cell challenged person, especially during a crisis.
    • A large quantum of sickle red blood cells dying prematurely soon breaks down, releasing a large amount of all their components, especially bilirubin, the yellow pigment.
    • The liver has a duty to conjugate this heavy bilirubin load which can become poisonous to the system, especially the brain, if not promptly transform (conjugated) into less harmful substances. It is this heavy congestion of bilirubin in the liver that makes the liver becomes inflamed and painful. The spleens, too, may become inflamed and painful, soft and purple, it is vascular and lies in the upper left region of the abdomen. As a filter for the blood, it removes all old or malformed or damaged red blood cells.
    • There may be other implications of this crises.

    SUGGESTIONS

    The suggestion addresses the symptoms.

    • Since the red blood cells cannot absorb the required amount of oxygen, this can be introduced through the diet by way of food and food supplements.

    Ready sources of oxygen in the food chain are chlorophyll rich foods. Chlorophyll is the green part of plants. It is now known as the ‘’blood’’ of the plant. As a matter of fact, four scientists won a Nobel Prize for showing that chlorophyll and the red of the human blood, the heamoglobin, have more–or–less the same structure, except for their central atoms.

    The chlorophyll structure is …Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen.The structure is held together by Magnesium. The heamoglobin structure is Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen. The structure is held together by Iron.

    Thus, when we consume deep green vegetables or their juices, the body will convert the chlorophyll plant blood to heamoglobin human blood by removing the magnesium central atom and replacing it with iron. The oxygen in this structure becomes available to oxygenate the human system short of oxygen. With this understanding, the health industry responded to sickle cell management by producing all sorts of green product for this purpose. I will mention only a few which includes:

    (1)Wheatgrass (2) Barley grass (3) Alfalfa (4) Spirulina (5) Kale (6) Chlorella and proprietary green products such as splina liquid chlorophyll. Nowadays oxygen tablet or liquid juice are also available.

     

    • VITAMIN E

    This vitamin helps the body to live on small oxygen supplies as if it has enough stock.

    That is why mountain climbers who take Vitamin E food supplements hardly experience oxygen- deficiency on mountains where oxygen levels are low. When the mineral selenium is taken with vitamin E, vitamin E performs better. The better it is if  grape seed extract is added to the list, being about 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E. When you purchase vitamin E, be sure to buy the natural (d-alpha) and not the cheaper dl-alpha which come from petroleum sources. Be sure, too that the d-alpha contains the full components of d-alphaTocopherols.

    Shark liver oil: One of the important components of this oil is SQULENE. It helps the shark to survive in the depths where oxygen is low. Squalence is produced in the human skin to protect it against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. But the quantum produced diminishes with age. Squalene should help humans beset with low oxygen situations.

    • Antioxidants: Magnessium, Zinc, and Manganese, ditto are many green plants. Grape seed extract, coral calcium, Alpha lipoic Acid, Bilberry, orange peel etc. are also. The list is too long to mention.
    • The liver: The liver is easily inflamed and hurt, if not damaged, by sickle cell crises. To boost its capacity to respond to these crises, many liver protective and toning (strengthening) herbs may be added to the diet. My favorites are: (1) Eclipta Alba (2) Milk Thistle (3) Carquega. My favourite proprietary formulas are: Liver Health, Liver Essentially and Liver Balance. They promote bile flow. And bile mops and excretes bilirubin through the stool.
    • The Bone Marrow: Bone pain can be eased with the forgoing suggestions. Comfrey Root Tea improves bone health and curbs the pain. So does Yarrow tea which has an affinity for the bone marrow. Beet Root is also good. Comfrey root powder can be mixed with shea butter and used as a massage cream on the painful bone.

    Diatom, also called Diatomaceous Health, is good too, especially as it is an alkaliniser and it has an affinity for the bone. As it strengthens connective tissue throughout the body, strengthening connective tissue in the bone marrow prevents the tearing which inflammation induces and of course, the pain which comes with tearing. The weapon in the hands of diatom is SILICA.

    Silica is present also in Horsetail and stinging Nettle. But it accounts for between 92 and 96 percent of Diatom. Recently I asked a throat cancer patient to try it. She had a terribly ulcerated stomach, and fed through a tube in her stomach. Whenever she passed liquefied food through this tube, her stomach was literally on fire, but when she ground two tablet of zinc to powder and passed it down with water, the pain eased as the zinc supported the healing process. And any time she felt the pain was about to come up and she fed Diatom to the stomach, the pain disappeared outright.

     

    • CLUMPING: Gumming (clumping) of cells or agglutination is one of the problems faced by a sickle cell challenged person. Clumping slows blood circulation, and, thus, delays oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells as well as waste or poison evacuation from them. During clumping episodes, the cells are, thus, starved and malnourished and left to live in a mesh of poison. Natural blood thinners’ free them from this peril. Some naturals include Onion and Garlic. They should be present always in the diet.

    Kyolic garlic, a proprietary brand of garlic, is reported to be about 50 times more potent than natural garlic, having been specially aged for about 15 months. The proprietary product Curcumin 2000X is good for this condition.

    Curcumin is anti-inflamating and helps all the inflammation caused by this challenge. The Cayenne present in Curcumin 2000X is reported to make it 2000 times more active than when curcumin is taken alone. Cayenne is a blood thinner and drives the blood to every nook and cranny of the body. Cayenne may be used on its own where curcumin 2000X is not readily available. I add cayenne to my corn portage (pap) and herbal drinks. Serrapeptase is another good blood thinner which solves blockages in the system. In the cell or tissue salt category of food supplement, Ferrum phosphate disbands all congestions, oxygenates the blood.

     

    SUMMARY

    In conclusion, the therapy goals are the following:

    • Improvement of oxygen stock and delivery to the cells.
    • Decongesting an overworked liver, reversing its inflammation and healing its injury but, above all, preventing those discomfitures by ensuring liver herbs are part of the daily diet.
    • Protecting the bone marrow likewise.
    • Preventing cell agglutination or thinning the blood where it has occurred.
    • Elongating the lifespan of sickle red blood cells with the addition of antioxidants to the diet, as a way of preventing the occurrence of event and complication which form some of the scenarios of a sickle cell crises.

  • Tips for leukemia, sickle cell disorder therapy

    When Seun Babalola called me about three weeks ago and asked for first aid therapy for a middle –age sickle cell man in deep crisis, I scribbled a note which formed the basis of today’s column.

    As a note, it cannot be comprehensive. But it should be useful for people who wish to avert a crisis or manage one.

    As I was scribbling the note, a young Mass Communications graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Miss Morayo Fadele, who was in my office, asked if I could broaden the tips to include a therapy for leukemia (blood cancer).  Her father bowed to this condition a few years ago. And, as she said, she would like to be of help to anyone challenged by it. I apologised that home or clinic therapies for leukemia would have to wait. But I made a few suggestions which included stinging Nettle, Yarrow, Blood root, Horsetail, wheatgrass, Chlorella etc.

    Leukemia is cancer of the blood. And the blood is the river of life flowing in our blood vessels. The blood has a specific composition. Anything outside this natural formula is at variance with healthy blood and can spell doom. This, constant recomposition of the blood to maintain the natural formula is crucial for averting blood disaster. But before we can recompose, we must clean out foreign elements from the bloodstream. This will lead us to detoxification.  All blood filters in the body must be at work and efficient. The liver, the kidneys, the lungs, the skin and the digestive tract are important for this purpose. Recomposition of the blood must recognise similarities in the green of Chlorophyll, “the blood of plants’’ and the red of hemoglobin, the red pigment of the human blood which transports oxygen the elixir of life. This, chlorophyII and hemoglobin are like two sides of a coin. The structure of cholrophyII is HYDROGEN – NITROGEN – CARBON and OXYGEN. Magnesium binds them together. The structure of hemoglobin is the same, except for iron, and not magnesium, which binds the structure together. The Nobel Prize was awarded to scientists who discovered this similarity. Thus, consuming greens as a salutary effect on the blood. As I always like to see it, taking greens is like recharging the blood as we recharge cell phone credit. The following herbs have been found to dramatically help leukemia cases: Garlic, Olive Leaf Extract, Milk thistle, Licorice, Aloe Vera, Raspberry, Curcumin, Green tea, Ginseng Citrus immature peel (which kills leukemia cells). Hedyotis diffusa- the Chinese remedy reported to be positively effective in killing cancer cell. Hungarian cancer therapist Alexander Ferenezi,in 1950, carried out a study with 22 patients whose cancers where advanced and inoperateable. He added Beet root to their diet for three to four months. All but one of them recovered dramatically. These herbs are set to clean and recompose the blood apart from helping the cancerous cell to commit suicide (apoptosis). The Hungarian study with Beet root, replicated in other countries encourages the use of herbs in leukemia and other cancers. The role of the spleen cannot be underplayed. It is a quality control centre for the blood. Blood cells which fail to pass the test are broken down by macrophages, special defense (immune cells) in the spleen. Thus, if leukemia cells roam free in the blood, the spleen deserve a query. It may be weakened, though, by infections and the generative liver conditions, among other problems.There will still be time for a more comprehensive discussion of leukemia therapies NOW. Seun Babalola, here comes the sickle cell note…

     

    Management of sickle cell anaemia condition

    Treating this condition the natural way involves, as in all health challenges, an understanding of the causes and effects, and consistent efforts to check them. I hope the following explanations and suggestions will help the conditions discussed.

     

    Explanations and suggestions

    • In sickle cell condition, the red blood cell is sickled, that is curved inwards from the edges or rumpled like rumpled, dry foliage.
    • A normal red blood cell, on the other hand, is flat like a coin.
    • In a rumpled state, the red blood does not enjoy maximum exposure to oxygen in the blood stream. Yet its job is to attract oxygen and take it to all cells for their metabolic and other living processes.

    Deprived of oxygen, the body’s growth is stunted, the immune system functions sub-optimally, microbes overgrow in population, attack and damaged healthy and unhealthy cells. As it is to be expected, the sickle cells cannot adequately defend themselves and, so, do not live beyond about half the lifespan of a normal cell.

    • When the red blood cells die prematurely, they create many health challenges.
    • Even the small amounts of oxygen they can absorb and transport diminished in quantum.That is why there is pain (or cry for oxygen) throughout the body.
    • The bone marrow where red blood cells are produced, comes under pressure to make more red blood cells. Yet it doesn’t have enough oxygen to do this extra job. That, again, is why bone pain is common among sickle cell challenged person, especially during a crisis.
    • A large quantum of sickle red blood cells dying prematurely soon breaks down, releasing a large amount of all their components, especially bilirubin, the yellow pigment.
    • The liver has a duty to conjugate this heavy bilirubin load which can become poisonous to the system, especially the brain, if not promptly transform (conjugated) into less harmful substances. It is this heavy congestion of bilirubin in the liver that makes the liver becomes inflamed and painful. The spleens, too, may become inflamed and painful, soft and purple, it is vascular and lies in the upper left region of the abdomen. As a filter for the blood, it removes all old or malformed or damaged red blood cells.
    • There may be other implications of this crises.

    SUGGESTIONS

    The suggestion addresses the symptoms.

    • Since the red blood cells cannot absorb the required amount of oxygen, this can be introduced through the diet by way of food and food supplements.

    Ready sources of oxygen in the food chain are chlorophyll rich foods. Chlorophyll is the green part of plants. It is now known as the ‘’blood’’ of the plant. As a matter of fact, four scientists won a Nobel Prize for showing that chlorophyll and the red of the human blood, the heamoglobin, have more–or–less the same structure, except for their central atoms.

    The chlorophyll structure is …Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen.The structure is held together by Magnesium. The heamoglobin structure is Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen. The structure is held together by Iron.

    Thus, when we consume deep green vegetables or their juices, the body will convert the chlorophyll plant blood to heamoglobin human blood by removing the magnesium central atom and replacing it with iron. The oxygen in this structure becomes available to oxygenate the human system short of oxygen. With this understanding, the health industry responded to sickle cell management by producing all sorts of green product for this purpose. I will mention only a few which includes:

    (1)Wheatgrass (2) Barley grass (3) Alfalfa (4) Spirulina (5) Kale (6) Chlorella and proprietary green products such as splina liquid chlorophyll. Nowadays oxygen tablet or liquid juice are also available.

     

    • VITAMIN E

    This vitamin helps the body to live on small oxygen supplies as if it has enough stock.

    That is why mountain climbers who take Vitamin E food supplements hardly experience oxygen- deficiency on mountains where oxygen levels are low. When the mineral selenium is taken with vitamin E, vitamin E performs better. The better it is if  grape seed extract is added to the list, being about 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E. When you purchase vitamin E, be sure to buy the natural (d-alpha) and not the cheaper dl-alpha which come from petroleum sources. Be sure, too that the d-alpha contains the full components of d-alphaTocopherols.

    Shark liver oil: One of the important components of this oil is SQULENE. It helps the shark to survive in the depths where oxygen is low. Squalence is produced in the human skin to protect it against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. But the quantum produced diminishes with age. Squalene should help humans beset with low oxygen situations.

    • Antioxidants: Magnessium, Zinc, and Manganese, ditto are many green plants. Grape seed extract, coral calcium, Alpha lipoic Acid, Bilberry, orange peel etc. are also. The list is too long to mention.
    • The liver: The liver is easily inflamed and hurt, if not damaged, by sickle cell crises. To boost its capacity to respond to these crises, many liver protective and toning (strengthening) herbs may be added to the diet. My favorites are: (1) Eclipta Alba (2) Milk Thistle (3) Carquega. My favourite proprietary formulas are: Liver Health, Liver Essentially and Liver Balance. They promote bile flow. And bile mops and excretes bilirubin through the stool.
    • The Bone Marrow: Bone pain can be eased with the forgoing suggestions. Comfrey Root Tea improves bone health and curbs the pain. So does Yarrow tea which has an affinity for the bone marrow. Beet Root is also good. Comfrey root powder can be mixed with shea butter and used as a massage cream on the painful bone.

    Diatom, also called Diatomaceous Health, is good too, especially as it is an alkaliniser and it has an affinity for the bone. As it strengthens connective tissue throughout the body, strengthening connective tissue in the bone marrow prevents the tearing which inflammation induces and of course, the pain which comes with tearing. The weapon in the hands of diatom is SILICA.

    Silica is present also in Horsetail and stinging Nettle. But it accounts for between 92 and 96 percent of Diatom. Recently I asked a throat cancer patient to try it. She had a terribly ulcerated stomach, and fed through a tube in her stomach. Whenever she passed liquefied food through this tube, her stomach was literally on fire, but when she ground two tablet of zinc to powder and passed it down with water, the pain eased as the zinc supported the healing process. And any time she felt the pain was about to come up and she fed Diatom to the stomach, the pain disappeared outright.

     

    • CLUMPING: Gumming (clumping) of cells or agglutination is one of the problems faced by a sickle cell challenged person. Clumping slows blood circulation, and, thus, delays oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells as well as waste or poison evacuation from them. During clumping episodes, the cells are, thus, starved and malnourished and left to live in a mesh of poison. Natural blood thinners’ free them from this peril. Some naturals include Onion and Garlic. They should be present always in the diet.

    Kyolic garlic, a proprietary brand of garlic, is reported to be about 50 times more potent than natural garlic, having been specially aged for about 15 months. The proprietary product Curcumin 2000X is good for this condition.

    Curcumin is anti-inflamating and helps all the inflammation caused by this challenge. The Cayenne present in Curcumin 2000X is reported to make it 2000 times more active than when curcumin is taken alone. Cayenne is a blood thinner and drives the blood to every nook and cranny of the body. Cayenne may be used on its own where curcumin 2000X is not readily available. I add cayenne to my corn portage (pap) and herbal drinks. Serrapeptase is another good blood thinner which solves blockages in the system. In the cell or tissue salt category of food supplement, Ferrum phosphate disbands all congestions, oxygenates the blood.

     

    SUMMARY

    In conclusion, the therapy goals are the following:

    • Improvement of oxygen stock and delivery to the cells.
    • Decongesting an overworked liver, reversing its inflammation and healing its injury but, above all, preventing those discomfitures by ensuring liver herbs are part of the daily diet.
    • Protecting the bone marrow likewise.
    • Preventing cell agglutination or thinning the blood where it has occurred.
    • Elongating the lifespan of sickle red blood cells with the addition of antioxidants to the diet, as a way of preventing the occurrence of event and complication which form some of the scenarios of a sickle cell crises.
  • Sickle Cell: UCH to begin bone marrow transplant

    Sickle Cell: UCH to begin bone marrow transplant

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has disclosed its intention to commence an advanced bone marrow transplant that will ensure complete cure for patient with Sickle cell diseases.

    The Consultant Hermatologist of UCH, Dr Titilola Akingbola who disclosed this while addressing journalist stated that two to third of Nigeria population are have Sickle Cell disease, adding that they have brought in experts from United States to train them on how it can be cure completely through the bone marrow transplant.

    “It is a great burden on Nigerians and Africa and it’s so sad that w have increasing long survival among patients who are most times surviving in pains. We will be using hydroxyures for them but it needs close monitoring. This new method needs blood donors for them to survive and it will save their lives completely.

    “It will be a red cell exchange which means the removal and replacment of the red cells. After this the patient will have total relief from the pains. They will only change the red cells coming from the bone marrow,” she said

    Akingbola stated that the new method of bone marrow transplant will assist many Sickle cell patients to survive and be cure completely.

    In his remark, the Head of Hermatologist, University of Illinious, Chicago, Prof Damiano Rondelli said for over 30 years, everyone knows that the bone marrow transplant can cure Sickle Cell diseases but they are afraid of the complications associated with it.

    According to him, this new method has nothing to do with surgery, we will only take the cells out of the bones of the donors and give it to the Sickle Cell patients without any side effects.

    Rondelli said:” The complications of the transplant has scared so many parents, patients and even doctors away, but this is a combination of two drugs for the transplant and it involves less complications for the patients. We now have a new way of during the transplant without any form of therapy before we give the patient the stem cells. With it the patient will be 90 per cent Sickle Cell disease free.

    “No disease is associated with the transplant and that is what distinguishes it from the normal stem cell transplant. We believe UCH can become the centre for Sickle Cell disease treatment for Africa and that is why we need the help of everybody for sustenance for this new method to work especially in finance and donation of the bone marrow.”

    Also in his reaction, the Chief Medical Director of UCH, Prof Temitope Alonge noted that the hospital has commenced the building of a Sickle Cell centre, but the building has stopped due to lack of funding.

    “We need the assistance of well meaning Nigerians to complete this centre and also donors. When completed we will give free treatment for the first five patients,” he said.

  • ‘Sickle cell crises are preventable’

    ‘Sickle cell crises are preventable’

    People living with sickle cell disease have been advised to take diets rich in protein, fruits, and vegetables.

    According to an integrative medicine consultant, Dr Emmanso Umobong, taking a required diet can help to alleviate the crises of sickle cell disorder (SCD) patients.

    Umobong, who is the director of Emm-mongs Sickle Cell Outreach Programme, urged victims to avoid refined sugars, white flour meals, cholesterol diets, fats and salt intake.

    He said they should take supplements with vitamin C, calcium, zinc, magnesium and vitamin D3 and amino acids which are good for SCD patients.

    “They should drink enough water because it is important to maintain adequate hydration. As adults, they should take between three and four litres of water on a daily. SCD patients should be exposed to moderate heat in the environment. A steady room temperature must be maintained. They should watch the use of air conditioners,” he said.

    Umobong cautioned against malaria and respiratory tracts infections, adding that these can make them more susceptible to crises.

    He advised them to avoid drugs, which adversely affect the liver, especially paracetamol used excessively.

    “They should not abuse alcohol or inhale harmful chemicals, such as chloroform. Many persevered foods or colored foods contain harmful chemicals,” he said.

    He urged them to sleep in well ventilated environment, adding that they must wear warm clothing in cold weather.

    Umobong recommended an integrative medicine approach for SCD treatment.

    This, he said, involves the use of proven or evidence based modalities whether from the world of orthodox (biomedical in Nigeria) medicines, complementary, traditional or alternative medicines, in a well integrated manner to ensure the health of the patient.

    He said sickening of red blood cells under certain conditions is responsible for sickle cell crises.

    “Sickle cells are rigid and their shapes obstruct free movement of blood through blood vessels. The condition causes clumping, and as such, blocks those vessels, thus depriving the organs involved from getting adequate oxygen and nutrient supply.

    “The result is acute pain in the organs. The pain is nothing other than a warning signal that all is not well with the organ. People can have bone pain crises, abdominal pain crises, acute chest pain crises (acute chest syndrome) and priapism, to mention a few.

    He said attention should be paid to conditions, which promote sickle cell crises.

    “They are low oxygen tension in the blood. Low available oxygen in the air breathed in could occur in high attitudes, such as mountain tops or flying at great heights, overcrowded environment, poorly ventilated rooms and polluted air,” he said.

    He spoke of the need to increased viscosity or thickness of the blood.

    “High cholesterol level, increased white/red blood cells, high level of circulating immune substances, high blood sugar levels and moderate to severe dehydration, are required by an SCD patient,” he said.

    He also identified poor oxygenation of haemoglobin as another problem. “In red blood cells, this is a condition in which the capacity of the haemoglobin to carry oxygen is interfered with. So many factors can contribute to this. We should note in this circumstance that the air we breathe is rich in oxygen and it will dissolve in the blood as it passes through the lungs yet the haemoglobin cannot take it up.

    “There is a substance in red blood cells called glutathione. It is an antioxidant responsible for keeping haemoglobin in the best state to mop up oxygen. When it is low in concentration, the haemoglobin’s ability to carry oxygen is greatly reduced.”

    He said there are conditions, which make blood acidic, and as such reduce the oxygen carrying capacity of haemoglobin and predispose people to sickle cell crises.

    “Poor health of the liver or spleen: Sickle cells are very vulnerable to severe damage as they pass through these two organs in the body. That is because of their basic structure, in which the cells are arranged more like the gills in the head of a fish. They break the sickle cell into fragment seen as target cells in slides and generate haemoglobin, which may elevate the viscosity of the blood,” he added.

  • Group urges FG to establish sickle Cell centres in council areas

    Group urges FG to establish sickle Cell centres in council areas

    Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF), has urged the federal government to establish sickle cell management centres at the local government level with a view to reducing the pains and trauma experienced by sufferers. The President of SCHAF, Prof. Adeyinka Falusi, stated this while addressing reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to celebrate World Sickle Cell day with the theme  “Walk against Sickle Cell Disease”?.

    “Every Local Government must have a centre to control Sickle Cell disease that will relate with the people at the grassroot. This will in turn assist to reduce the disease. President Buhari has to carryout this directive so as to save lives.We have a programme to sell to the government that will enable them to reduce the cost they spend on controlling the disease. ” she said

    According to her, Nigeria is number one ?in those with Sickle Cell disease in the world. Government of Nigeria has to wake up and do something about the disease. Falusi, who stated that sickle cell disease is  high in Africa and Nigeria, noted that it is caused by ignorance of the people. She said SCHAF was founded basically to control Sickle Cell disease in Nigeria, adding that their first aim is to create awareness for people to know their blood genetype  and make informed decisions before they meet their partners.

    “It is not when you want to marry that you will know your genotype, you should know it earlier so that you can make a safe decision on your life partner.   We have also instituted a Know Your Genetype (KYG), club and we are initiating it in all schools, churches, and organisations. Every “youths in this country should know their genetype before they marry and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) too should assist us to educate corpers about it. 

    “We are also taking care of those that are already born with Sickle Cell diseases. We are giving them drugs we can afford, most of them have leg ulcers for 17 years and we are taking care of them. We are also giving them vocational training.

     

  • Sickle cell symposium holds today

    In commemoration of the World Sickle Cell Day, an advocacy group, Tonymay Foundation, will today hold a symposium at the Lagos Television (LTV8) premises, Agidingbi, Ikeja in Lagos.

    Sickle Cell is a disorder that affects haemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body.

    The symposium, will be chaired by the Medical Director, Nigeria East Africa Region and head, Pfizer Worldwide Biopharmaceutical Businesses, Kodjo Soroh, with the theme: “Healthcare for People Living with Sickle Cell; whose responsibility”

    The foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Edith Otokhina said the most critical of life-saving measures is awareness and information management.

     Chairman of the foundation, Chief Andrew Otokhima said the symposium will be preceded by a walk, where it will enlighten people of the ailment.

     Otokhima, a lawyer, called on the National Assembly’s attention to enact laws for a policy to ensure prompt and free treatment for carriers, so that they can enjoy what others are privileged to in other developed countries.

  • Many Nigerian children suffering from sickle cell

    Many Nigerian children suffering from sickle cell

    Many children in Nigeria are suffering from sickle cell anaemia (SCA), says the chairman, Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN), Prof Olu Akinyanju.

    This, he said, was due to the country’s large population, adding that over 80 per cent of children living with the condition are born in Africa.

    Akinyanju spoke while receiving from Dufill Prima Foods Plc a cheque and some Indomie noodles donated to the foundation, said access to affordable treatment would reduce the crisis experienced by children in the early phase of their lives.

    Akinyanju called on individuals and corporate bodies to support the centre.

    Director SCFN, Mrs Ayo Otaigbe said SCA is a huge burden that requires a lot of support.

    She said Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that affects the haemoglobin within the red blood cells.

    “The recurrent pain and complications caused by the disease can interfere with many aspects of the patient’s life, including education, employment and psychosocial development.

    ”Sickle cell disorder is by far the commonest inherited disorder in the world and three quarters of cases occur in Africa. In Nigeria, where it affects two out of every hundred children born, it causes suffering for innumerable patients and their families,” she said.

    She said SCD is a very complex condition, which requires huge amount and research to improve the lives of those living with this condition.

    Public Relations Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr Tope Ashiwaju, said the donation was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).

    Ashiwaju poor funding of the health sector, especially in the area of research and provision of drugs and equipment was the rationale behind the company’s donation to the foundation.

     

  • Will sickle cell patients ever get support?

    Will sickle cell patients ever get support?

    Sickle Cell disease (SCD) patients are lamenting. The reason is lack of support from the public and the government. They feel abandoned and want people to identify with them. Two patients speak their minds to WALE ADEPOJU. 

    Suicidal thoughts have occurred to Wilson Michael at least once.  For those who do not know him, it will be too early to judge him. He is a 200 biochemistry student at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and if everything goes well, he will complete his studies. But why did he think of commiting suicide?

    It is because, Willy, as he is fondly called, has lived with sickle cell disorder for the past 27 years and as such has experienced a number of ‘painful’ crisis.

    Another sickle cell disorder sufferer, Mr Kelvin Akpavie, on the other hand, has been battling leg ulcer; no thanks to sickle cell.

    Besides, his family back home in Isoko, Delta Delta State, has been impoverished by his condition.

    Akpavie could not even complete his education. He was forced to drop out of school and abandon his studies at Senior Secondary (SS) 3 .

    The big question is, are SCD patients getting the support to live with the disease in Nigeria? No, said the two sufferers.

    For Michael, most tales, more often than not, have ended in woes than joy. This, he said, is a cause for concern as he urged the Federal Government to do something about the problem.

    According to the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN), almost 300,000 children, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, are born with  sickle-cell disease yearly.

    According to its chairman, Prof Olu Akinyanju, many Nigerians with the AS blood type are carriers of the sickle cell genes.

    The SCFN chair described SCD, or sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) or sometimes drepanocytosis, as hereditary blood disorder, characterised by an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying haemoglobin molecule in red blood cells.

    The condition, Akinyanju said, can be very serious when there is no support.

    “It is worse than HIV/AIDS because most SCD patients hardly smile. This probably was because the society has left them to their fate,” he said.

    The complications of SCD, he said, can be prevented to a large extent with vaccination, preventative antibiotics, blood transfusion, and the drug hydroxyurea/hydroxycarbamide.

    A small proportion of patients require transplant of bone marrow cells, Akinyanju said.

    Recounting his ordeal, Michael said life has been very tough for him, especially during crisis.

    “When I’m having crisis, it is like hell. I always wish for death. Sometimes, I crave to end it all once and for all,” he said.

    People, he said, do not know what it is like for somebody to be experiencing pain in their bones. “The pain in my bones can be so severe that I often feel like dying.”

    Describing the crisis, he said: “It is like somebody axing you. The pain and tears are uncontrollable. And my bones will become so feeble to the extent that I am completely helpless.”

    He said sufferers should be supported financially and morally, adding that life would be hell for them without these. SCD has affected his education, growth and life in general.

    “For me, everything was upside down. My family could only do very little to help my condition because I did not come from a well-to-do family and most times getting money for treatment is a problem. This was why life was so difficult for me,” he said.

    Michael said to relocate to Lagos from Warri was difficult, but a decision had to taken to save his future.

    “I have been providing for my treatment and education. This is difficult because I am presently studying to become a biochemist. So, this makes me to work and study at the same time,” he said.

    He said his parents did try, but were frustrated owing to poor cash flow. “One day, they told me that they were tired of everything. I was so sad but I understand their predicament,” he said.

    The reason, he said, was simple: “My elder sister was also a sickle cell patient. They had to cater for her too,” he said.

    He said most times, his parents would struggle to pay for his sister’s treatment until she passed away.

    People, he said, discouraged his parents from spending money on his treatment since they were already broke. “They would tell them that I will not survive it. This made them resign to fate that I would die anytime soon. But, something kept saying I would make it,” he said.

    He said it was during this period that he left Warri to fend himself in Lagos, stressing: “Since then, I’ve been on my own without social support. However, I always encourage myself that I am going to live. But I am still trying to put myself together as I am a bit disappointed,” he said.

    Michael said he owed his continued existence to some doctors and friends, who always lend a hand during critical moments.

    “If not for their regular support I could have died. I met them when I gained admission to study at CMUL. They made me who I am today,” he said.

    He said he could not do what most of his friends do because he was too weak to engage in physical activities, even though he loved to be lively. “If I push harder like my friends it might result to a crisis. So, I always keep to myself,” he added.

    On his lifestyle, he said: “I have never lived a normal life. When people are having fun, I am battling with crisis and pains.”

    He said SCD has affected his relationship with friends and general well-being, adding: “During the Christmas or Easter, I am always miserable because I cannot go to the beach to swim or cinema to see a movie. It is either I am having some pain or taking precautions against the crisis. I always miss out in everything; some clothes that I should have worn I could not for fear of getting cold. All aspects of my life is affected.”

    He said he could not eat the kind of food that he loved, especially the traditional oilly soup in Warri, because of SCD.

    He said any attempt to eat it may spell doom for him as it can cause skin reaction.

    “Also, I could not use some drugs prescribed by doctors, especially Tramador capsule. I always take the tablet form. Its capsule causes irritation on my skin.

    He advised sickle cell patients to be themselves and ensure that they take their medication as prescribed by their doctors. They should avoid anything that can trigger crisis, especially stress, he added.

    “Sickle cell patients should take food that is rich in protein, such as beans. They should also relax. The reason I experience crisis because of my heavy schedule as a worker and student,” he said.

    He said he usually starts his day at 6am and ends it by 9pm, Monday through Friday, adding that it is a must do for him to become somebody in life.

    Mr Akpavie said he has never felt bad for being an SCD patient.

    According to him, the reasons were best known to God.

    The Isoko, Delta State indegene, said his parents did their best for him before they passed away. Akpavie, who lives with his elder sister, said out of eight children, he was the only one with the condition.

    He called for support from well-meaning people and the government, stressing that the financial help he was getting could not meet his medical needs.

    He said: “I have leg ulcer, which I must treat regularly. There are injections that I must take. These have not been easy.”

    He said his sister has been a pillar of support, adding that anytime she does not have money his treatment cannot go on.

    He said he could not go back to school since the demise of his father.

    “I was in Senior Secondary (SS) 3 when my father died. After his burial, there was no money for me to return to school. This is coupled with the accident which I had. These worsened the leg ulcer,” he said.

    Patients, he said, should take their treatment seriously, adding that they should avoid worries and be focused.

    “I know that one day it would be better than this. None of his extended family has shown any interest in assisting him. I am on my own,” he said.

    Akpavie is still nursing the ambition to return to school if he could get help.