BY  RACHAEL OLAYIWOLA

“IT is our Right To Know”. This was  the theme of a youth seminar  organised by the Genotype Foundation recently in Lagos to enlighten youth in secondary schools about issues surrounding Sickle Cell Disease, SCD. Currently, Nigeria has the highest number of people living with sickle cell anemia in the world. At the event, free genotype testing and blood grouping were carried out for all participants who were drawn from 10 secondary schools in Lagos.

Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Doris Gbeminoye stressed the essence of knowledge about the genotype and it’s attendant implications. In her view, the event was designed to give hope to persons living with the sickle cell disorder.

Gbemiloye observed that it is advisable to get tested early in life so as to avoid complications in future. ”A person with sickle cell anaemia, SS, cannot marry  another person with sickle cell anaemia. Intending couples should not wait until they attain marriageable age before knowing their genotype. Do it when you are much younger,” she advised.

Further, she said: I am happy we have been able to touch lives no matter how small. To you youths, it make look confusing now and you may not know the benefits of what we are doing here today, but I assure you 10 years from now you will see the importance of this conference in your individual lives.”

Gbemiloye lamented  that many persons living with the disorder in Nigeria are too poor to afford treatment, hence so many die untimely. We need support to make laws that are compliant and  create the required awareness which is about prevention and treatment.

She pointed out that the ultimate goal is to run genotype tests in for 5,000 students in every state of the Federation and save so many generations yet unborn.  There is a lot of ignorance about sickle cell disease, but we want to save the younger generation. At their time having the disease is crucial, it should be about choice and not chance.

Ayoola Olajide, author of “Menace in My Blood”,  who was diagnosed with  with sickle cell anemia when he was about four years old, spoke about the power of enlightenment urged  persons with sickle celldisease to seek  genetic counseling to help them better understand the disorder and  how it will affect  them and their children.