Make sickle cell treatment affordable and accessible

 People with sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited blood disorder, endure unhappy lives due to its numerous problems, yet, they can manage their illness and lead happy lives if they receive regular medical care and have access to medications.

Unfortunately, advanced treat­ments for SCD are very expensive, and therapies that can cure the disease are still out of reach.

Sickle cell disease is a danger­ous genetic condition as red blood cells with the shape of a sickle block blood flow, causing severe pain, organ damage, life-threat­ening illnesses, and possibly early death.

The disease causes severe com­plications including chronic pain, anaemia, infections, acute chest syndrome, strokes and organ dam­age, often leading to shortened life expectancy.

Globally, around 1,000 babies are born with the condition daily, with three-quarters in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana SCD, affects about three in every 100 newborns.

It was against this backdrop that health experts have urged Ghana to prioritise affordable and accessible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) to enable patients benefit from gene therapy which has been developed in recent years, as a potential cure.

According to Dr. Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a Sickle Cell and Child­hood Cancer Expert at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, “the country must focus on practical, lower-cost interventions such as hydroxyurea, a decade-old can­cer drug proven to reduce pain­ful episodes, hospitalisation and life-threatening complications in SCD patients.”

He said that the medicine, that is swallowed, makes red blood cells work better and is thought to be safe and successful.

“Hydroxyurea therapy is as good as the cure and a low-hang­ing fruit to pluck, we must bring a cure to our sickle cell warriors, but do so sustainably,” he urged.

The expert noted that despite its benefits, “hydroxyurea is not widely accessible in Ghana” stress­ing that, “many patients either cannot afford it or struggle with irregular supply through the health system.”

The Spectator supports the expert’s argument that expand­ing access will offer short-term respite as the nation develops the necessary infrastructure, educates experts, and obtains the funds to support curative treatments in the future.

With an estimated 15,000 ba­bies born with sickle cell disease each year in Ghana, Dr. Osei Tutu issued a warning, pointing out that “failure to improve access to ef­fective treatment will leave many patients vulnerable to preventable complications and early death.”

In light of this, the Spectator suggests that people obtain genet­ic testing in order to determine their carrier status.

A genetic counsellor can also explain the inheritance concerns and go over ways to keep their children from inheriting the illness if both partners are carriers.

To prevent passing on sickle cell disease, couples who are at risk of having a child with the con­dition can decide to adopt a child or live child-free.

Churches should require that prospective partners know their current status in order to decide whether or not to continue their relationship.

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