As part of efforts to help youths make informed choices about their life partners, the Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD) has taken its sensitization and awareness campaign to members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, posted to Anambra State.
The Association, which has been at the forefront of the war against sickle cell disease for over a decade, believes that knowledge about sickle cell disease among youths could constitute an important variable that influences their premarital sexual attitude and behavior.
Speaking at the grand finale of the mandatory three weeks orientation course for batch B/2 corp members in Anambra State, at the NYSC orientation camp in Umuawulu/ Mbaukwu, the National Coordinator of APLSCD and Director, Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home, Agulu, Mrs Aisha Edward Maduagwu said the NYSC is crucial in the drive for adequate sickle cell sensitization.
Aisha Edward tasked the NYSC directorate to make genotype education readily available for corp members across Nigeria, commending the Anambra State Director of NYSC, Mrs Ekene Iruma, for working assiduously for the success of the NYSC program in the State, and also for providing an excellent platform to sensitize the corp members on sickle cell.
According to her, the eradication of Sickle Cell disease should be among the front burners of the national discourse, and the youths have a pivotal role to play if giving birth to sickle cell children should stop.
Debunking the myth surrounding the belief that sickle cell children die young and don’t thrive into adulthood, Aisha Edward said that proper management and care help reduce the frequency of crisis episodes.
She listed diagnosis, treatment, and self-care as the options to lessen symptoms.
The APLSCD National Coordinator made a passionate appeal to the government at all levels to create economic empowerment and make quality healthcare accessible and pocket-friendly to individuals with sickle cell disease, as economic frustrations have contributed to avoidable deaths of persons with sickle cell.
She also harped on the need for effective enforcement of the laws that will eradicate the production of children with sickle cell disorder.
“I recall that Anambra State Sickle Cell Law (Prevention) states that at the point of dowry payment, the partners must present their genotype certificate to their President-General or Traditional Ruler before proceeding with other processes of marriage.
“That law also makes defaulters liable to a jail term if anything happens on the contrary and a sickle cell child is born.
“Even in our churches, marriage counselors do not know about this genotype issue and couples take advantage and forge certificates.
“We want to appeal to our people to take this issue seriously and refrain from anything that will increase the burden of this disorder in our society. It is in our hands, and we can achieve that,” she posited.
In her remarks, the State Director of NYSC, Mrs. Ekene Iruma, commended the APLSCD for being the mouthpiece of vulnerable sickle cell persons and not sparing any opportunity to sensitize the public on genotype education.
In their separate presentations, the Commissioner for Police Anambra State command, CP Nnaghe Itam, and the Commandant 302 Artillery Regiment and General Support, Onitsha, assured the corps members of adequate security in the state as they carry out their primary assignment and serve the nation.
They advised the corp members to be security conscious and refrain from acts that could jeopardize a smooth stay for their national youth service.
