Sickle Cell: Newborn Screening Now A Must In Delta

In its continued fight against sickle cell anaemia, Delta State government has made it mandatory for every new born baby in the state to undergo screening within 48-72 hours of their birth.
This was disclosed in Asaba by Dr Uche Okwe, sickle cell focal person, during her lecture at a one-day seminar organised by the Delta State Ministry of Health for media practitioners titled, ‘Sickle Cell Control and The Role of The Media’.
According to Dr Okwe, the mandatory screening for babies became necessary because early detection solves a lot of associated problems such as early death, and makes it easier to manage such children thereby making them suffer little or no crisis.
While soliciting for the support of media practitioners in the sensitization of the general public, Dr Okwe revealed that about 2000 babies have been screened since it became mandatory, adding that 26 babies tested positive.
She noted that there are about 11,000 persons living with sickle cell in Delta State, adding that treatment for sickle cell patients in the state is free through the sickle cell clinics.
She appealed to media practitioners to make the public know that the government has made non-nutritive sucking, NNS mandatory in various health facilities in order to detect any sickle cell disorder early for prompt treatment and to make it known to the public that it has become law in the state.
The focal person lamented the ignorance of many people who still attribute sickle cell disorder to spirituality and advised that people must check their genotype before going into marriage. She added that people should not tempt God by thinking genotypes AS and AS could go into marriage without producing a sickle cell child.
In her own presentation, Comrade Sonia Unobunjo pleaded with journalists to rally round medical officials to curb sickle cell disorder in the society.
Comrade Sonia, who is also a media practitioner, called on journalists to see the fight as their own and ensure the media impacts positively on the fight against SCD.
Participants at the seminar also suggested ways for curbing the SCD such as educating young people from primary school age on the issue of genotype while some expressed belief that the religious and traditional institutions should be considered very important stakeholders in the fight against SCD.
In her remarks at the occasion, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Health in Delta State, Dr Philomena Okeowo advised that journalists should be mindful of how they report SCD.
She said harsh and frightening words should be discouraged, adding that sickle cell is not a death sentence as people have lived with it successfully. According to her, with proper care, people survive it.