Comprehensive care for newborn sickle cell patients launched

A project aimed at screening new­borns of sickle cell disease (SCD) and linking them to comprehensive care was launched in Accra Friday.

Spearheaded by the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate, the “Community-Based Sickle Cell Disease Care and Screening Project” would provide rapid diagnostic test kits at various wel­fare clinics to detect SCD among children to ensure their early treatment and longevity.

The Princess Marie Louis Hospital (PML) and Maamobi General Hospi­tal are designated as focal points for referral and comprehensive sickle cell management in the region under the project.

Speaking at the launch, the Acting Programme Manager for Non-Commu­nicable Diseases (NCDs) at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Efua Commeh, described SCDs as an “NCD of special concern” affecting about 18,000 (two per cent) babies born in Ghana, annually.

She said, one in every 50 children born in the country had SCD with an estimated of 41,000 per­sons currently living with the condition.

Dr Commeh further stated that with a rising NCDs burden in the coun­try accounting for about 55 per cent of deaths, it was important that interven­tions cover all diseases un­der that umbrella to reduce mortalities and promote a healthier population for nation building.

“Typically, with the chronic diseases, we call some of them NCD-4, they are top four that give us the numbers- hyper­tension, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases but beyond these four, there are diseases that the num­bers might not be the same as hypertension but it’s crucial in that there’s a lot we can do to mitigate the sort of effects that these conditions bring and for sickle cell to be in there, it is critical,” she explained.

The Programme Man­ager noted that although earlier efforts which piloted screening newborns of SCD nationwide among other intervention hit a snag, her outfit together with other partners was committed to see them reinstated.

“The Ministry of Health last year established tech­nical working group to revise the national strategy so that we can coordinate sickle cell efforts, which are largely disjointed across the country.”

She stated the need to strengthen actions in areas including capacity building of health professionals, public sensitisation to clear myths and misconcep­tions, screening for early detection, cost of care and disease management etc.

 BY ABIGAIL ANNOH