Rise In Sickle Cell Anaemia, a major Concern in Borno and Yobe

Ibrahim Umar
Kanempress
19, January,2023

Borno and Yobe states have the largest number of SCD trait with prevalence of 27.9 per cent an 32.6 per cent.

As harmattan season sets in, the condition of patients living with the Sickle Cell Anaemia, regarded as the most common form of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), has continued to worsen owing to vulnerability and weakness of their immunity.

According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) statistics on SCD shows that Nigeria has the most share of over 300, 000 babies born globally with SCD.

The executive director of Sickle Cell Disease Eradication Initiative (SCDEI), a medical doctor at the Specialist Hospital, Damaturu, Dr Aliyu Usman Mohammed, said there is an increase in the number of sickle cell patients during the harmattan season compared to what was obtainable during hot season.

“SCD patients are vulnerable and prone to frequent hospitalisation during harmattan than hot season, because their major problem during heat is malaria which normally results in anaemia.

“In extreme cold or harmattan weather like this, they are prone to complications such as acute chest syndrome which result in difficulty in breathing and any delay in intervention may cause loss of life.

Despite all the necessary awareness on genotype expecially to newly couples, Nigeria remain the largest with 300, 000 babies born globally with SCD.

We are calling on parents and necessary authority to be very vigilant in other to minimize the rapid increase in the number of SCD in Nigeria.