U.K.-based Sickle Cell Society has called on World leaders to celebrate Sickle Cell Patients to raise awareness about the red blood cell disorder and to raise funds to fight it.
June 19th was officially designated as World Sickle Cell Awareness Day.
The international awareness day is observed annually to increase public knowledge and an understanding of sickle cell disease, and the challenges experienced by patients and their families and caregivers.
Across the globe, supporters will participate in activities such as wearing red for sickle cell disease (SCD), sponsoring a walk or run, shaving or dying their hair, and sharing patient stories with local media outlets.
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a significant public health burden in Ghana. Recent studies indicate that 2% of Ghanaian newborns are affected by SCD; one in three Ghanaians has the hemoglobin S and/or C gene.
Every year, approximately 15,000 babies in Ghana are born with SCD. But treatment exists and early diagnosis through newborn screening could significantly reduce preventable deaths.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
