Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, has encouraged planning couples to opt for screening to identify their blood status prior to going into marriage. This, she stated ends up being necessary to defend against having kids with sickle cell in the future.

Coker provided the guidance when she declared open a 2-day training for Health Workers on Comprehensive Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease in Ogun State, arranged by the Ministry of Health in Abeokuta.

According to her, about 150,000 children are born yearly with sickle cell illness in Nigeria.

She included that 90 per cent of the kids pass away, making Nigeria the world’s leading contributor to infant mortality from sickle cell disease.

“An estimated 150,000 infants are born annually in Nigeria with sickle cell disease. It is a heredity condition that results in death of 70%-90% babies before the age of 5. Sadly, Only a small part of impacted babies and kids in Sub-Saharan Africa reach teenage years due to the spaces in our health system.”

“Very few of these kids see their fifth birthdays. This is not acceptable for an illness which is avoidable through early detection, appropriate interventions and management,” Coker stated.

She, however, notified that 70% of deaths from the disease could be prevented with a low-cost diagnostic and treatment plan.

The commissioner kept that the workshop is the first thorough newborn screening for sickle cell illness programme in the state and part of government’s techniques to decrease under five mortality, revealing optimism of a success story regarding fight against sickle cell disease in the closest future.

While noting that sickle cell illness is not a death sentence as it could be managed to make it possible for the client live a regular life to aging, Dr. Coker, however, advised moms and dads, particularly interested mother’s who unfortunately have had infants born with the disease to benefit from the screening program which would be carried out in health facilities across the state.

The Director, Public Health Department, Ministry of Health, Dr. Festus Soyinka, in his opening remarks, said participants at the workshop would be exposed to the five components the newborn screening including testing, tracking, education, assessment and treatment, contacting them to make the most of the training opportunity given to them.