As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Sickle Cell Day in 2025, child health experts are once again stressing how important it is for couples to do premarital screening. This helps prevent the spread of sickle cell disease in the country.
They explained that although there are ways to treat the symptoms of the disease, the cure—like stem cell transplants—is too expensive and not widely available. So, the best way to fight the disease is by preventing it.
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is held every year on June 19. It aims to educate people and spread awareness about blood-related diseases.
This year’s theme is “Global Action, Local Impact: Empowering Communities for Effective Self-Advocacy,” encouraging communities to take action and speak up for themselves.
Dr. Abdurrazzaq Alege, a child health expert at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, said the best way to stop the spread of sickle cell disease is through premarital counselling and genetic testing.
He explained that if people only marry partners with compatible genotypes, the number of people carrying the sickle cell gene will drop over time.
Dr. Alege said it’s better to prevent the disease than try to manage it. Although there is a cure through stem cell transplants, this treatment is too expensive and hard to find in Nigeria.
He also said that people living with sickle cell need regular care to avoid serious health problems, especially those caused by blocked blood flow.
One way to help is by drinking at least three litres of water every day, which helps keep the blood flowing well.
Other helpful steps include avoiding heavy physical activity, eating healthy food (but avoiding iron supplements), sleeping under mosquito nets to prevent malaria, taking malaria prevention drugs like proguanil, and using antibiotics like Penicillin V to prevent other infections.
Pain from sickle cell can be managed with the right painkillers. Patients should also take folic acid, which helps make red blood cells.
Dr. Alege added that some patients may benefit from regular blood transfusions using blood from people with haemoglobin AA, done every 6 to 8 weeks. Medicines like Hydroxyurea, which help the body make healthier red blood cells, can also help reduce symptoms.
However, he warned that such medicines should only be taken with a doctor’s guidance because they can have side effects.
Professor Aminu Mohammad, a child surgery expert at Bayero University, also said premarital testing is key to stopping the spread of sickle cell disease.
He explained that if people who carry the sickle cell gene avoid marrying each other, the number of sickle cell cases in Nigeria will go down.
Professor Mohammad, who studies childhood cancer and genetic diseases, said premarital testing is important because it prevents the disease from being passed on to children.
He mentioned that in some countries, sickle cell disease has been almost wiped out because people follow strict rules about only marrying partners with compatible genotypes.
By following these rules in Nigeria, he said, sickle cell disease can be reduced, leading to better health for future generations.
Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder passed from parents to children. Nigeria has the highest number of people with this condition in the world.
Experts say sickle cell remains a serious public health issue in Nigeria because many people are not aware of the importance of genotype testing before marriage.
According to the World Health Organization, about 7.7 million people around the world have sickle cell disease. That number has gone up by more than 40% since the year 2000.
The disease causes over 375,000 deaths every year.
It is most common in regions where malaria is widespread, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 80% of all cases. It is also common in parts of the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South Asia.
