Ministry of Interior, mandate genotype counselling and testing for intending couples
Ministry of Interior, mandate genotype counselling and testing for intending couples
The Issue
I was born with sickle cell anaemia and so was my immediate younger brother. I didn't understand it was a problem until I understood we had to take certain precautions and medicines more than others to reduce frequent breakdowns. I was certain we would always overcome any crisis until my brother died. This had a huge impact on my life and my health because I was afraid I would die too. In the years that followed, I learnt more about this health condition so I could live better.
As an adult, I have had reasons to interact with family and friends about genotype compatibility especially as it relates to birthing children living with sickle cell. Then I understood that there was a lot of ignorance and indifference on this topic, coupled with the negative religious and cultural myths around sickle cell disorders. This has contributed to creating stigma and discrimination for most people living with sickle cell disorders. The bigger consequence of this problem is that Nigeria is the sickle cell capital of the world, with 150,000 sickle cell births annually.
In 2018, I began a foundation named in memory of my late brother, Okares Sickle Cell Foundation to promote awareness on the prevention and management of sickle cell disorders mostly in Calabar. In the course of our work, we found that a lot of young adults do not know their genotypes, genetic counselling is not emphasised before marriage, and even our secondary schools do not understand what sickle cell is, in spite of learning genetics as a topic in Biology.
This is why this campaign is necessary. With the Ministry of Interior’s intervention to create a policy that insists on intending couples knowing their genotypes and undergoing genetic counseling with documentary evidence before being married, the gap of ignorance will be covered significantly and young persons will be better informed about their genetics and its relevance to the health and wellbeing of their offspring.
Image credit: https://www.kpcc.org/2022-08-16/new-treatments-are-offering-hope-to-sickle-cell-disease-patients
916
The Issue
I was born with sickle cell anaemia and so was my immediate younger brother. I didn't understand it was a problem until I understood we had to take certain precautions and medicines more than others to reduce frequent breakdowns. I was certain we would always overcome any crisis until my brother died. This had a huge impact on my life and my health because I was afraid I would die too. In the years that followed, I learnt more about this health condition so I could live better.
As an adult, I have had reasons to interact with family and friends about genotype compatibility especially as it relates to birthing children living with sickle cell. Then I understood that there was a lot of ignorance and indifference on this topic, coupled with the negative religious and cultural myths around sickle cell disorders. This has contributed to creating stigma and discrimination for most people living with sickle cell disorders. The bigger consequence of this problem is that Nigeria is the sickle cell capital of the world, with 150,000 sickle cell births annually.
In 2018, I began a foundation named in memory of my late brother, Okares Sickle Cell Foundation to promote awareness on the prevention and management of sickle cell disorders mostly in Calabar. In the course of our work, we found that a lot of young adults do not know their genotypes, genetic counselling is not emphasised before marriage, and even our secondary schools do not understand what sickle cell is, in spite of learning genetics as a topic in Biology.
This is why this campaign is necessary. With the Ministry of Interior’s intervention to create a policy that insists on intending couples knowing their genotypes and undergoing genetic counseling with documentary evidence before being married, the gap of ignorance will be covered significantly and young persons will be better informed about their genetics and its relevance to the health and wellbeing of their offspring.
Image credit: https://www.kpcc.org/2022-08-16/new-treatments-are-offering-hope-to-sickle-cell-disease-patients
916
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Petition created on 1 June 2023