A press conference was held on Thursday April 19 to herald the forthcoming Sickle Cell Social Dialogue to be held at the Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos by 9am on Thursday April 26, 2012. The theme of the event, which is Social Change and the Challenges of Sickle Cell Anaemia Disorder is an open forum for all stakeholders (patients, medical practitioners, families, NGOs and government) to discuss the challenges of the disorder in Nigeria and proffer sustainable solutions to such.
The event which is being organised under the auspices of the Progeny Foundation, the Sickle Cell Advocacy & Management Initiative (SAMI), the Dabma Sickle Cell Foundation and the Sickle Cell News & World Report is geared towards creating a platform for Sickle Cell awareness. It is hoped that by the end of the dialogue, there will be a significant percentage increase in the number of people willing to disclose their SCD status and that participants will have a clearer understanding of the disorder and eliminate the common stereotypes associated with the disorder. The organisers also hope the dialogue will enlighten the media and provide facts about the disorder that will help promote proper and accurate depiction of the disease.
Sickle Cell is a hereditary disease that affects over five million Nigerians (Nigeria has the largest population of people living with the disease) and the disease has been declared a public health problem by the United Nations since 2008. Roughly 75% of the 150,000 children born with the disease annually in Nigeria die before their fifth birthday.
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