Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has urged Nigerians on the need to increase support and advocacy on sickle cell disease in the country.
The governor made the call on Wednesday night in Asaba at a public presentation of the “05 Initiative”, a pet project of his wife, Mrs Edith Okowa.
The theme of the presentation was “Changing Our World, One Person At a Time”.
Okowa said that it was worrisome that over 150,000 babies were born yearly with sickle cell disease in the country.
He added that it was unfortunate that the disease was not taken seriously in the country being the worst hit by it in the world, according to available statistics.
He commended his wife for the initiative and pledged to work with relevant stakeholders, particularly Non-Governmental Organisations, to drive the process of advocacy on the disease in the state.
He, however, called on well-meaning Nigerians to support the projects and donate towards giving hope to the down trodden, adding that God will reward all cheerful givers.
Mrs Okowa, who also marked her 55th birthday on Wednesday, said that the “05 Initiative” was predicated on the Bible Precept in Matthew 25 verses 35-36.
She explained that the objective was to reach out to alleviate the plight of the poor and that of the sufferers of sickle cell disease in the state.
She added that the foundation had built four sickle cell centres in Oleh, Agbor, Ughelli and Sapele Central Hospitals to ease the hardships of the sufferers of the disease in the state.
According to her, the initiative comprises five attributes which is the smile of a child, healthcare, prison outreach, women empowerment and youths on a mission.
She said that through the platform, many children were clothed, fed, given free healthcare services and provided accommodation.
Mrs Okowa also added that the foundation had sunk boreholes in some prisons and provided support and empowerment to many youths and women in the last one year.
She stressed that the initiative has so far secured the release of over 40 inmates who were unable to pay their options of fines and sunk boreholes in Ogwashi-Uku, Agbor and Sapele Prisons.
“We hope to replicate the sickle cell clinic in every town across the state where there is a Central Hospital to further ensure that sufferers of the disease access medical care.
“But our ultimate goal is to establish a modern sickle cell centre in Asaba, the state capital, to serve as referral centre”.
Earlier, Dr Annette Akinsele, National Director, Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, lamented the poor advocacy on sickle cell, cancer, hypertension and diabetes in the country.
She, however, commended the governor’s wife for the initiative, adding that the pains associated with sickle cell disease could better be imagined.
According to her, about 150,000 babies are born yearly with sickle cell disease in Nigeria making it the worst hit by the disease in the world.
“And of this, less than a quarter live to celebrate their 5th birthday and statistics also show that about 100,000 children with the disease die yearly in the country.
Akinsele, however, recommended research, advocacy and continued support for sufferers of the disease as measures to give hope and save their lives.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, lauded the initiative and called for support by stakeholders to ensure that the project impacted the lives of the poor in the state.
