By Idris Khalid
Sickle cell patients in Bauchi state have appealed to the Buhari-led administration to come to the rescue of over 40 million sickle cell patients nationwide who were at the risk of dying.
They cried out that they were on the verge of dying due to lack of nutrition, coupled with the unavailability of modern medications for healing sickle cell anemia disease.
The patients in a press briefing marking this year’s World Sickle Cell Day in Bauchi yesterday, described their conditions as terrible and unbearable attributable to hunger and malaria fever both in rural and urban areas, and lack of modern medications meant for curing sickle cell anemia disease.
The state chairman of the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation, Muhammad Kafi Liman called on President Buhari, state governments and traditional rulers to show mercy to sickle cell patients by providing them palliatives, especially those at the grassroots.
They said, “More than 300,000 people were born with sickle cell anemia annually, upon the 40 million sickle cell patients statistically across the nation. Over 120,000 sickle cell patients were dying during childbirth”.
Malam Muhammad Liman disclosed that 180,000 sickle cell patients live under harsh condition as a result of inability of the Buhari-led Federal Government to conduct Genotype test before marriage.
“We are also pleading with the United Nations, especially United States of America and United Kingdom to the rescue of sickle cell anemia disease patients by providing modern medications and balanced diet, and creating awareness on the effect of the disease in Nigeria”.
The Foundation appealed to both national and international organizations such as Center for Disease Control (CDC) Save the Children, UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) FHI 360, United Nations UN, UK AID, USAID, Doctors Without Borders, Action Against Hunger, and European Union (EU).
It commended United States former president, Mr. Donald Trump for his medication support to the sickle cell patients all over the world, and whose government fought against sickle cell anemia disease globally.
He revealed that Bauchi has over 150, 000 sickle cell anemia disease patients living in fear and uncertainty, and called on Governor Bala Mohammed to support them with food supplies, modern medications and anti-Malaria medications.
“More than 5,000 were born with sickle cell anemia disease yearly with the exception of the statistics on ground and at least 2,100 died instantly, 2,900 were living under harsh conditions as a result of inability of Bala led- administration of not enacting a law to adopt Genotype test before marriage”.
The chairman also revealed that more than 800 of the disease patients are dying annually as a result of the inability of Bala's Government on the patients and its inability to provide medications and nutrition.
Sickle cell patients also pleaded with the Bauchi state government to provide them palliatives, free medication and treatment, as well as adopting Genotype test before marriage so as to halt such sickle cell anemia disease pandemic in Bauchi State.
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