The Nigeria Orthopaedic Association has called on the Federal Government to subsidise and provide Medical Insurance for people living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria.
The call was made by Kunle Olawepo (Dr), President of the Nigerian Orthopaedic Association on Thursday in commemoration of the 2020 World Sickle Cell Day, and made available to
Olawepo stated that subsidizing treatment and providing medical insurance would alleviate cost of treatment while awaiting a genetic breakthrough to eliminate the condition.
He explains 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, their families 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 Association described Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) as a group of inherited red blood cell disorders, adding that healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
In SCD, according to him, 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.
Olawepo informed that over time, people with sickle cell can experience damage to organs such as the liver, kidney, lungs, heart and spleen, just as he says that death can also result from complications of the disorder.
He notes that treatment of sickle cell mostly focused on preventing and treating complications and 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 Nation 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 (haemoglobin) in the red blood cells.
Olawepo had while explaining that SCD is inherited from both parents; and that symptoms included recurrent Infections, pain in bones and joints, pain in the chest, fatigue, easy tiredness, dizziness, jaundice and pale skin, sausage digit, shortness of breath and impaired growth among others.
The medical practitioner pointed out that diagnosis involves
a simple laboratory blood test (electrophoresis) which can detect the Sickle cell gene, adding that treatment include 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.
He also advocated intervention on the part of government for optimal care of SCD patients and advised 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, lets bring to the front burner the facts that;
SCD is an inheritable genetic condition arising from the haemoglobin of red blood cells causing debilitating symptoms treatable by medications and at the extreme, bone marrow transplant.
“It may be complicated by Orthopaedic manifestations usually requiring surgical interventions including Arthroplasty,” he said.
