By Iwedi Ojinmah 30 days ago

A Consultant Physician and Neurologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Professor AbdulWasiu Abdulwahab has said that Nigeria has the highest prevalence of the people living with sickle cell anaemia in the whole world.

Abdulwahab disclosed this during a genotype seminar organised by the Youth Wing of the Kwara state branch of the Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN) held at the association’s Secretariat, on Fate Road, Ilorin, the state capital.

The Professor of Neurology described alarming and disturbing the fact that Nigeria has the highest number of people living with Sickle Cell traits across the globe.

He, therefore, called on the federal government to promulgate a law that will protect the interests of people living with sickle cell anaemia in the country, adding that this and other demands by the Sickle Cell Foundation in Nigeria should be given priority attention.

According to him, the law when enacted and implemented will not only cater to the needs of the victims of the sickle cell anaemia but also lead to the reduction of the ailment in the country

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He commended FOMWAN for organising the seminar on genotype saying that “If we look at the ramifying effect of not testing the genotype before going into marriage, then we would appreciate this seminar because it came at the right time”.

“Sickle cell anaemia is a big problem and people should forget what we usually hear that love is blind. Love used to be blind but love should not be blind again because we have the knowledge. If someone has sickle cell anaemia, the person is already carrying the two genes and is going to manifest with the disease,” he added.

In her lecture, Dr Aishat Otuyo of Sobi Specialist Hospital, Alagbado,  Ilorin advised parents to always encourage their children who have attained marriageable age to consider genotype screening very important before going into marriage.

Also, Dr Mrs Barakat Raji of the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin enjoined prospective husband and wife to give priority attention to the issue of genotype before selecting future partner so as to live happily and harmoniously as a couple.

In her remarks, the chairperson, FOMWAN Youth wing, Alhaja Baliqees Oladimeji said the seminar was organised to create awareness across the 16 local government areas of the state about the danger inherent in going into marriage without adequate attention to the issue of genotype test.

She explained that FOMWAN invited parents and grown-up children to participate in the seminar for them to be enlightened and duly educated about the importance of genotype test.