The wife of the Kwara State Governor, Mrs Olufolake Abdulrasaq, said over two hundred sickle cell warriors have been treated free through ÀJÌKÉ Foundation in collaboration with the State Health Insurance scheme in the last two years.
Addressing Journalists on the sidelines of Umbrella Walk held across Major streets in Tanke, Ilorin, on Monday
Mrs Abdulrasaq, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Doctor Abubakar Ayinla, explained that the state government recognizes the needs and challenges of people with sickle cell anaemia and would continue to render adequate support.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Pearl Sickle Cell Initiative, Mrs Titilayo Bamidele, during the inauguration of three mini pharmacies where sickle cell warriors can access free drugs, emphasized the need for deeper awareness on the disease.
Mrs Titilayo Bamidele stated that through the Initiative, sickle cell warriors have been able to get both psychological and medical support.
Earlier in their remarks, Kwara State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mr Olusegun Adéyemí and the State Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists ( NAWOJ), Ayobola Ipinlaye, called on faith based organizations, traditional institutions and the media to take the lead in creating more awareness on Sickle Cell anaemia.
While speaking with newsmen, a student of University of Ilorin, Maryam Oduola stressed the need for individuals to know their genotype pointing out it is an assignment that everyone should take seriously.
In commemoration of the 2023 World Sickle Cell Day, a Non Governmental Organization, Pearl Sickle Cell Initiative, in partnership with the Kwara State Government and other donors, charted the course in both advocacy and physical support for sickle cell warriors.
The inauguration of the pharmacies began with a red umbrella walk during which due awareness was created of the need for intending couples to get tested to know their genotypes and for members of the society to embrace people with the condition and see them as people who need their love, care and support.
The theme for this year’s World Sickle Cell Day is “Building and Strengthening Global Sickle Cell Communities, Formalizing Newborn Screening and Knowing Your Sickle Cell Disease Status.”
World Sickle Cell Anemia Day is celebrated on the nineteenth of June every year, and sickle cell anemia is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders.
