Nigeria has the highest number of births associated with sickle cell syndrome in the world.
Experts in the medical field made the assertion in Umuahia during the World Sickle Cell Day celebration.
While releasing the data, lecturers at the occasion disclosed that the country had the highest figure of the disease, which had been ravaging locals as early as 187 and was grossly misunderstood as “Ogbanje” in Igbo land or “Abiku” in Yoruba.
The disease which was documented in western countries in 1910, the experts, Godwin Onuoha, Oluchi Ukoha, C. O. Nwabuko and.Onuoha said about 4 million people were suffering from the disease in the country while 30% them were child carriers.
They noted that 5% of the children living with the disease would live up to 10 years of age, while 95% died before clocking 10 years of age adding that in some western countries, they lived up to 50 years of age.
Mike Enyinnaya, the chairman of the occasion in his opening remark during the occasion with the theme, “Reducing The Burden of Sickle Cell Disease in Our Communities”, thanked the wife of Abia Governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu for showing “milk of human kindness” by building houses for the poor, sponsoring medical treatment for the indigent and for her intention to build Sickle Cell Centre in the state.
Speaking during the occasion, the wife of the state governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu disclosed that her pet Project, Vicar Hope Foundation, VHF was partnering with other bodies “dedicated to fighting for the reduction in the frequency of various debilitating disease, ameliorating the suffering of the people and helping our children become better future leaders.”
The First Lady said; “I have strong passion for things to do with sickle cell. This is why I choose to make sickle cell matters the centre point of what we are doing at Vicar Hope Foundation”, stating that she was taking cue from the wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, and called for support from Nigerians in other to take the activities of her foundation to the next level.
