Foundation provides free health insurance for 200 sickle cell warriors in Kwara
The Dele Shittu Foundation has paid the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) premiums for 200 sickle cell patients in Kwara.
A board member of the Foundation, Mr AbdulGafar Shittu, stated this in Ilorin during a social programme organised by the Foundation, in collaboration with Pearl Sickle cell Initiative.
The programme is an outlet
where sickle cell warriors shared personal experiences of living with the disorder.
Sickle cell disease remains one of the most common genetic disorders in Nigeria, with Kwara recording high prevalence.
Shittu who is also a sickle cell warrior, said the intervention was aimed at reducing the financial burden of managing sickle cell disease and ensuring uninterrupted access to quality healthcare.
He said many families with sickle cell patients spend a large portion of their income on routine drugs, laboratory tests and crisis management.
Shittu observed that for many families, managing sickle cell is a lifetime financial struggle, adding that the foundation is taking that burden off 200 warriors by paying their health insurance for one year.
He called for greater awareness, support and protection against stigma for sickle cell warriors
Shittu stressed that people living with the condition should not be defined solely by their health challenges.
In her keynote address, the founder of Pearls Sickle Cell Initiative, Mrs Titilayo Makinde, explained that the foundation is dedicated towards enlightening people on the disorder.
Mankinde who is also a warrior disclosed that she has undergone 13 major surgeries, saying that despite the challenges, she remains a mother, wife and businesswoman who has chosen to stay positive.
She appealed to people to desist from stigmatisng sickle cell warriors, but show empathy and understanding.
The Project Manager of the Foundation, Mr Salaudeen Olanrewaju explained that the sponsorship of the 200 beneficiaries of NHIS is part of the mandate of the organisation on health intervention for the indigents.
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