A medical doctor with Eko Hospital Ikeja, Dr Emoruwa Oyefo, has called on the government to give attention to the management and care for non- communicable diseases like sickle cell disorder.

Oyefo during an enlightenment programme organised by Crimson Bow Sickle Cell Initiative in partnership with Mushin Local Government said that Nigeria has the largest population of sickle cell carriers in the world with about five million sickle cell children. “It is understandable that communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS can spread faster and claim many lives within a short period of time and this accounts for quick attention often paid by the government to arrest the spread, nevertheless non- communicable diseases can also claim many lives if enough is not done to stop it.

“The reason why sickle cell disease does not get much funding is because it does not affect the whole world. It affects Africa and some part of Asia, so it does not attract much attention from medical researchers. It does not get adequate funding compared with a huge population of sickle cell sufferers,” Oyefo said. She called on the federal government to establish more sickle cell care centers around the country and also step up enlightenment programmes to let more parents know what they can do to help children with sickle cell disorder.

On the prevention of sickle cell disorder, Oyefo stressed the need for everyone to know their genotype by going for a test. “The whole essence of genotype test is to enable the children to know who they can marry when they grow up because the most definite form of prevention is for the right type of genotype to be matched together. The Chairman Mushin Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Bamgboye advised mothers to adhere to the guidelines given to them and avoid mixing traditional medicine with modern medicine when taking care of their children.