Nigerians who have Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) have expressed their distress over the burden that expensive medications and inadequate access to comprehensive care place on them and their families.
They also condemned the absence of access to new and advanced medical therapies that have been shown to cure the disease in other countries, such as gene therapy and bone marrow transplants.
Ahead of this year’s World Sickle Cell Day, people suffering from the disease are calling on government to improve access to healthcare, subsidize essential medications, and strengthen public education on genotype compatibility.
The World Sickle Cell Day is commemorated on June 19 every year.
They called for the establishment of a national agency for the control of sickle cell disease, and a center that exclusively caters for patients.
Medical experts have also said there is need for increased investments and adoption of new therapies for sickle cell disease such as gene therapy in high burden countries such as Nigeria. They said it will go a long way to provide succour for people suffering from sickle cell disease.
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