NGO advocates end to stigma against Sickle Cell disease

By Stanley Onyekwere

An Abuja-based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), LA’ Grace Sickle Cell Foundation, has called for greater advocacy to help end the current stigma against sickle cell disease in the country.
In particular, the Foundation stressed the need for more organizations in the country to open up more sickle foundations to solve the issue of sickle disease in the country.
The founder of the NGO, Abdul Abdulaziz, who made this point riefing newsmen on the disease in Abuja, Abdulaziz noted that many Nigerians do not understand the sickle cell disease, as they usually attribute it to spiritual attacks or attacks from neighbours.
He pointed out that Nigeria has one of the highest cases of sickle cell in the world, because in every three birth in Nigeria, at least there is one sickle cases, adding that there are so many cases of sickle cell in the country, especially in the rural areas, which are not reported.
He explained that the essence of LA’ Grace Sickle Cell Foundation is to reach out to urban dwellers, who don’t have idea of the disease and to stop the stigma against the disease.
“We are encouraging more people to open up more sickle foundations to solve the issue of sickle disease in the country. One foundation cannot solve the problem of sickle cell disease in Nigeria.
” People should go to the rural areas and make campaigns on sickle where they don’t have ideas of what the disease is all about,” he stressed.