• Over 650 children die daily from disorder

From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

Worried by the high death rate due to sickle cell, the Senate has passed a bill seeking to establish Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) Research and Therapy Centres across Nigeria through second reading.

The bill aims to drastically reduce the country’s high sickle cell mortality rate and improve access to specialised care for patients.

The proposed legislation, which scaled second reading at the Senate, provides for the establishment of one Sickle Cell Centre in each of the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory. The centres will offer diagnostic, curative and rehabilitative services, while also serving as hubs for research, data collection and patient education.

Leading debate on the bill, its sponsor, Sunday Katung, said the initiative would provide a structured and sustainable approach to the management of sickle cell disorder, one of the most common inherited diseases in Africa.

According to him, “the Bill seeks to establish the Sickle Cell Centres in each of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and make comprehensive provisions for due administration of the centres.”

He explained that they would not only deliver advanced medical care but also support families and communities affected by the disorder through counselling and public education.

Presenting the rationale for the bill, the lawmaker described Nigeria as the global epicentre of sickle cell disorder, accounting for about half of the estimated 300,000 newborns with the disease each year.

“Sickle Cell Disorder is the most common inherited disorder in tropical Africa, with over 650 children dying per day. In Nigeria, most of those with the most severe form of the disorder die before the age of five,” he lamented.

He noted that while more than 90 percent of patients in high-income countries now survive into adulthood due to improved treatment and care, Nigeria continues to record a high mortality rate because it lags behind in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

“Despite tremendous global scientific progress, Nigeria still records a very high rate of SCD complications and deaths because we have not fully implemented the treatment plans that have worked in other countries,” he said.

Contributing to the debate on the bill, Osita Ngwu, described the bill as timely and important. He said: “It comes from a genetic transmission, due to ignorance of the parents. This bill is timely and will go a long way in providing therapy and saving lives.”

On his part, Abdulfatah Buhari said the bill should prioritise enlightenment and rural outreach to sensitise more people on the disorder.

He said: “Most people don’t even know who to marry in terms of genotype compatibility.”

Similarly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan supported the bill, but expressed the view that the centres should be attached to university teaching hospitals to enhance research and reduce establishment cost.

The presiding officer, Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, referred the bill to the Committee on Health for further legislative action.