Senate Moves To Establish Sickle Cell Research, Therapy Centres
•By Admin
ABUJA – Worried about Nigeria’s high death rate from sickle cell disorder, the Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) Research and Therapy Centres across the country.
The proposed legislation aims to drastically reduce sickle cell mortality and improve access to specialized care and research for affected patients.
The Bill, sponsored by Senator Sunday Katung, provides for the establishment of one Sickle Cell Centre in each of the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Centres are expected to deliver diagnostic, curative, and rehabilitative services while also serving as hubs for research, data collection, and public education on sickle cell management.
Leading debate on the bill, Katung said the initiative represents a structured and sustainable approach to tackling one of the most common inherited diseases in Africa.
According to him, “The Bill seeks to establish Sickle Cell Centres in each of the six geo-political zones and the FCT, and make comprehensive provisions for their effective administration.”
He explained that the Centres would not only provide advanced medical care but also support families and communities through counselling and public enlightenment.
Presenting the rationale for the Bill, the lawmaker described Nigeria as the global epicentre of sickle cell disorder, accounting for nearly half of the world’s estimated 300,000 newborns with the disease each year.
“Sickle Cell Disorder is the most common inherited disorder in tropical Africa, with over 650 children dying daily. In Nigeria, most patients with the most severe form of the disorder die before the age of five,” he lamented.
Katung further noted that while over 90 percent of sickle cell patients in high-income countries now survive into adulthood due to improved medical care, Nigeria continues to record a high mortality rate due to inadequate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
“Despite tremendous global scientific progress, Nigeria still records very high rates of SCD complications and deaths because we have not fully implemented the treatment models that work elsewhere,” he said.
In his contribution, Senator Osita Ngwu described the Bill as “timely and essential,” noting that sickle cell disorder often results from ignorance about genotype compatibility. “This Bill is timely and will go a long way in providing therapy and saving lives,” he said.
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari also supported the Bill, urging that more emphasis be placed on public enlightenment and rural outreach. “Most people don’t even know who to marry in terms of genotype compatibility,” he noted.
Similarly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan endorsed the proposal but suggested that the Centres be attached to university teaching hospitals to enhance research collaboration and reduce establishment costs.
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