The wife of Abia State Governor Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health and the Vicar Hope Foundation has organized a stakeholders workshop on the implications of the Abia State law No. 5, of 2018, (Abia State Identification Of Blood Group and Genotype Law) to mark the World Sickle Cell Day.
The purpose,the Governor’s wife said, was to create awareness and stimulate interest in matters relating to sickle cell prevention, management, research for cure and the challenges faced by carriers of the disease.
She noted that her strong passion for sickle cell sufferers, the emotional trauma and economic hardship caused by sickle cell anemia to parents led her to make the disease the centre point of what Vicar Hope as a foundation does.
According to her, “I realise that it is not enough to build clinics and to give counselling and care, I discovered that if I really want to make an impression, I must seek actions that are more impact, that is how I came to partner with the State House of Assembly and they speedily gave passage to the bill “.
She explained that sickle cell disorder causes the onset of many diseases and wreak havock on individual and families and like many other diseases it is spread by poor information.
” We put this workshop together because we intend to engage all stakeholders and use the tools provided to us by Law No. 5 of 2018, in the fight against the disease.
The workshop will also examine what the law says and how best we can put it to use in order to save the child from the burden of the disease through sensitization and enforcement “. She further stated.
However, the Speaker Abia State
House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Chinedum Orji, had earlier said that the State House of Assembly had passed a bill into law mandating Abians to test and publish their genotype and blood group on their identity cards to help create awareness on the endemic disease.
He said the primary responsibility of the legislative arm of the government is to make laws that will ensure smooth running of governance in the State pointing out that the Abia State Blood Identification Group and Genotype Law 2018, was established to help save children and families suffering the pain and anguish associated with the blood disease.
The Legislator, assured that his colleagues will not stop at making laws only but would assist by sensitizing their constituents on the menace of the ailment as well as employ other measures to combating it and reduce its widespread to the barest minimum.
The speaker promised that the 7th Assembly will always provide the necessary legislative backing through adequate budgetary allocations to the health sector and follow constitutional provision that will accelerate same.
Earlier, the Chairman on the occasion Dr. John Chikezie, a Consultant Physician, Abia State University Teaching Hospital, revealed that sickle cell is a non communicable disease but a genetically disease of which whoever suffers it, the family suffers also.
He added that what Vicar Hope Foundation is doing through this awareness and sensitisation is to spread the message that the disease is preventable through blood and genotype testing before marriage.
Meanwhile, in a good will message the Permanently Secretary State Ministry of Health, Elder Godwin Azu, said that as Abia State joined the rest of the world to mark this day, it is worthy to note that this disease is preventable if we do the right thing.
The workshop features Barrister Chidinma Alozie, of FIDA, who lectures on Understanding The Provision of the Law No. 5 of 2018.
While, Mr. Ibe. U. Ibe, a resource person discusses the Modern Diagnosis and Testing Methods for Sickle Cell Disease.
