The Nigeria Orthopaedic Association (NOA) has called on the Federal Government to subsidise the cost of treatment and introduce Medical Insurance for people living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria.
The association made the appeal in a statement issued by its President, Dr. Kunle Olawepo, on Thursday in Ilorin.
A copy of the statement commemorating the 2020 World Sickle Cell Day was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Olawepo said that subsidising treatment and providing medical insurance would alleviate cost of treatment while we await a genetic breakthrough to eliminate the condition.
He explained that the World Sickle Cell Day is celebrated on the 19th of June every year; a day recognised by the United Nations.
“It is an international awareness day observed with the goal to increase public knowledge and an understanding of sickle cell disease, its treatment and the challenges experienced by patients, theirfamilies and caregivers.
“The day is celebrated to improve treatment outcomes of sickle cell disease through early diagnosis.
“The Governments, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), doctors, health workers and support groups come together to find strategies to eliminate the sickle cell disease,” he said.
The president of the NOA described Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) as a group of inherited red blood cell disorders.
He explained that healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
However, in SCD the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a sickle.
“These sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells (sickle cell anaemia).
“Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they get stuck and clog the blood flow which causes pain (sickle cell crisis) and other serious problems such infection, acute chest syndrome, stroke, blindness, bone damage and priapism (a persistent, painful erection of the penis),” he said.
He explained further that over time people with sickle cell can experience damage to organs such as the liver, kidney, lungs, heart and spleen.
He added that death can also result from complications of the disorder.
Olawepo noted that treatment of sickle cell mostly focuses on preventing and treating complications.
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He said SCD is a commonly occurring genetic disease, it is inherited and found worldwide and can severely endanger the life of the patient.
“According to the United Nations, an estimated 300,000 are born every year with this condition and SCD affects 250 million people around the world.
“People living with SCD are in the extremely vulnerable group and have to shield during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“SCD is particularly common in individuals in Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Central America, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece and Italy, but predominantly affects people from African and Caribbean backgrounds,” he said.
The expert on bone diseases observed that SCD is caused by an abnormality in one of the two chains that makes up the red pigment (hemoglobin) in the red blood cells.
He said that SCD is inherited from both parents; sickle cell trait is inherited from one parent, and that symptoms included recurrent infections, pain in bones and joints.
Others he listed included pain in the chest, fatigue, easy tiredness, dizziness, jaundice and pale skin, sausage digit, shortness of breath and impaired growth, among others
Olawepo pointed out that diagnosis involves a simple laboratory blood test (electrophoresis) which can detect the Sickle cell gene.
“Treatment includes medication (analgesics and antibiotics), intravenous fluids, blood transfusions and rarely a bone-marrow transplant and also joint replacements such as hip, knee and shoulder.
He, however, warned carriers of SCD to seek premarital counselling to discourage carriers of the Sickle cell trait from marrying one another.
Olawepo therefore urges Nigerians to raise awareness about SCD amongst family, friends and colleagues.
He also advocated intervention on the part of the government for optimal care of SCD patients and urged people to form the habit of donating a pint of blood as SCD could require blood transfusion at some point in their lives; sometimes as an emergency lifesaving procedure.
The expert advises the government to lead in public enlightenment and campaign to eliminate SCD and promulgate a “know your genotype” policy/law.
“As we celebrate the 2020 World SCD Day, let’s bring to the front burner the facts that SCD is an inheritable genetic condition arising from the hemoglobin of red blood cells causing debilitating symptoms treatable by medications and at the extreme, bone marrow transplant.
“It may be complicated by Orthopedic manifestations usually requiring surgical interventions including Arthroplasty,” he said. (NAN)