By Annang Bako
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Mr. Andy Bako, the Executive Director of The Youth Challenge, an NGO, has asked stakeholders to create more awareness on sickle cell disease among Secondary School students.
“This is to draw attention to the fact that there is a cure for sickle cell aneamia and that sickle cell patients can also live normal, pain – free lives” he said at a meeting with secondary school students in Kaduna as part of activities to mark the World Sickle Cell disease day.
Bako said knowledge about the disease among youths in Secondary Schools could play an important role in influencing youths pre-marital attitude.
He said to discourage future spread, there was need to raise awareness about the disease, especially among students in secondary institution in the country.
“Secondary school students are usually in relationships that may eventually lead to marriage in future, so issue of pre marital screening may be of concern as this may be affected by existing knowledge and attitude of sickle cell disease.
While calling on Government to mainstream sickle cell disease in health clubs in schools, he added that Identity card of students should contain their genotype and blood group.
The Executive director urged government to provide facilities in hospitals to ensure early diagnosis and create massive awareness using the media.
“About 25 per cent of Nigerians carry the defective gene which is passed to offspring and about three per cent Of children are born with serious disorder.” He said