SDGs Sickle Cell Centre opens in Lagos as 3m battle disease

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has inaugurated the two-storey Paediatric Sickle Cell Centre in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. The medical facility was donated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) occupied by Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. Orelope-Adefulire, a former Deputy Governor of […]

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has inaugurated the two-storey Paediatric Sickle Cell Centre in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

The medical facility was donated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) occupied by Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.

Orelope-Adefulire, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos, said sickle cell disease had impacted communities across the nation negatively, subjecting families to psychological torture.

She said to stem the tide, the government prioritised the development of modern medical care capabilities to check the growing cases.

• EFCC arrests 127 suspected internet fraudsters in Akure
• FG launches ‘Technical Working Groups’ on food, feed safety

The SSA said three million people are living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria, projecting a precarious outlook for the country.

She said the president approved the initiative to further demonstrate his commitment to achieving all targets set in Goal 3, Target 2 of the SDGs, and leave no one behind in the initiatives rolled out to address the challenges.

She thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his leadership and commitment to the achievement of the SDGs through his “Renewed Hope Agenda.”

She said: “This intervention is a cardinal pillar of healthcare and empowerment in the Renewed Hope agenda of the current administration. Knowledge and skill among the public health workers are critical to improving the care for sickle cell cases. Before now, LASUTH treated 45 out of 1,000 patients weekly due to constraints of space and facilities.

“This Sickle Cell Care Centre will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3, Target 2, which seek to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, thereby reducing global burden to 25 per 1,000 by 2030. In Nigeria, our target is to achieve zero per 1,000 at the end of implementation period.”

Sanwo-Olu described the intervention as a “remarkable donation” strategic to the State’s healthcare value chain noting that the project would scale up response time to cases and stem infant mortality.

He said: “This collaboration with the Office of the SSA to the President on SDGs is a testament to our collective commitment to improving care for children living with sickle cell diseases. I acknowledge Princess Orelope-Adefulire for her vision and unwavering commitment to healthcare advancement that made this Centre a reality. This will not only transform our healthcare landscape, it will also add to the number of child care facilities in Lagos.

“If we all work together, we can achieve a lot more together. This hospital will provide a comprehensive care that will include early diagnosis, advanced treatment and continuous management to children that are suffering the debilitating condition. The Centre will also serve as a hub for research and education, which will foster and deeper understanding of the disease. More importantly, it will contribute to reducing infant mortality index.”

Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, reiterated that sickle cell remains a health burden on the nation.

He said the disease doesn’t affect carriers alone, it also places constraints on family members and community as a whole.

Alausa called for optima use of the facility adding that the centre would provide top tier care for patients and researchers.