Adigun Jimoh could not have imagined the sickening practice of wrapping several layers of clothes around himself to seek protection from harsh weather conditions, but this is routine every time.
Coupled with his sickle cell status, the 27-year-old faces repeated health challenges especially during harmattan periods. For him, he is determined to fight fate till his very end.
With a breezy atmosphere blowing from different directions, the harmattan season proves threatening to him, as his body always feels insecure. He takes specific measures: staying indoors, wearing multiple layers of clothing, and consuming more water than usual.
“During this period, I tend to spend a lot more time taking care of myself than in other seasons of the year. You will be doing all your possible best not to fall sick and to avoid any crisis,” Jimoh said.
The data on sickle cell patients is shocking, with Africa being associated with the highest numbers of the sickle cell trait. The figures show that between 10% and 40% of the continent’s population may be affected.
Data published by the Centre For Policy Impact In Global Health shows that Nigeria has the highest number of SCD. About 2% to 3% of the entire locals in the country have the disease, with 150,000 newborns affected yearly, and 50 million carrying its traits.
Adigun does not look forward to cold weathers
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder that affects the production of hemoglobin — a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to different parts of the body. The tissues and organs in the human body do not receive enough oxygen when one has SCD.
Sad tales of vulnerable victims
Blessed Chinonso once served as a teacher before her health challenges pushed the 29-year-old to lose her teaching job, rendering her vulnerable as she was later exposed to arduous work, disregarding her doctor’s advice in order to accommodate the end result.
Whenever Blessed gets a new job, she hides her health challenges, fearing that she would be fired if her employer discovered her illness. She later decided to learn artisanal skills when she could not take the pressure any longer. The thought of becoming her own boss is now a new matter that mostly occupies in Blessed’s thoughts.
“I have been teaching and standing despite having weak bones going against doctors advice because I have to survive. I have really tried different jobs and job hunting. But the moment people find out about my health issues, they advise me to stop because I will lose the job.
Blessed has decided to be her own boss to avoid discrimination from employers
The consequences of the odd predicament towards the lives of SCD patients are damning. According to a research published by the National Library of Medicine, people living with SCD tend to face a lot of discrimination among which is social discrimination, which hinders them from getting access to employment. The study also identified employment-related social discrimination as a significant concern. One of the ways some employers discriminate is that they refuse to hire individuals with SCD due to the misconceptions about the concerns of frequent sick leave.
For David Magaji, another SCD patient from Kaduna, his sickness prevented him from going on an excursion in 2019—a program mostly important to his study. In return for his absence, he had to do the same course for two different academic years. His trial does not stop there. He suffers rejections from work prospects with some organizations purposely not mentioning him, as soon as they knew of his ailment.
Resilience and Optimism — the Weapons that Keep SCD Patients Alive
Hameedat Opoola, another patient suffering from the odd predicament, recounts how SCD turned her into a regular visitor at the hospital. Although the harmattan session was very lively and fun, it continues to take tolls on her body. “It is not uncommon to go to the hospital frequently during the harmattan season. I personally have been to the clinic twice in December alone,” Hameedah says with a face full of anxiety.
Like every other victim of SCD, she was entangled with a double-battle—fighting the ordeal of the sickness and relieving herself from the worries of the stereotype—keeping faith inside and showing resilience outside.
“I wish people knew that having SCD does not mean I am weak. Sure, I may not be able to do as much as some people at times but that does not frame me as a sick person,” she said.
The young lady in her mid-20s, pleads with people to always be positive when relating with SCD patients living around them by showing compassion towards their wellbeing.
“If someone tells you that he or she has SCD, do not tell them that you know someone that died after suffering from it. Or that you know someone that had SCD and died. Please, we do not want to hear such things,” she said with a bold chuckle.
Hameedat’s mindset mirrors the predetermination of millions of people like her who refuse to succumb to the unscrupulous view that SCD patients die untimely.
Blessed Chinonso, echoing the same sentiment as Hameedat, narrates how she trained her mind to always stay positive against all odds. She notes that losing her faith because of SCD will bring the worst to her existence.
“Life is about finding your purpose and that is all that matters in life. That is what should be our state of mind. And being healthy starts from the mindset.”
Since SCD does not signify a life sentence, Blessed feels no threat as regards limitations to her existence.
Impact of Inflating Drugs on SCD Patients
One of the most important but overlooked news stories in Nigeria is the high costs of drugs. High prices of foods, fuel, and their needs always dominate the headlines every day. Why? Because they affect a large number of the entire population. However, the plight of those suffering from one disease or the other attracts little or no attention.
A World Bank report titled “Healthcare Costs in Nigeria: Trends and Impact,” revealed a startling fact; with the cost of essential drugs in Nigeria having skyrocketed by nearly 50% from 2020 to 2023.
As always as before, it has been a wild ride for Adigun Tayo, who explains how the recent increase in drug prices prevented him from getting access to on-time medications to keep his body in check.
Magaji
Speaking on the danger of inflation on his health, he said: “Some of our routine drugs are Paludrin, B-Co, Folic Acid, Blood Tonic (any of your choice), and some painkillers like Diclofenac and some analgesic injections.
“But due to the hardship and inflation in prices of everything, it is so hard to afford my medication nowadays. It has been two months now that I have been out of medication,” Tayo recounted bitterly.
David, who lives in a community some kilometers away from a hospital also suffered from the same fate. Spending N5,000 every time he needs to receive medical attention has posed a great financial burden on him.
The last time he was gripped by the suffocating ailment, he incurred about N65,000 before he could recover, leaving a draining memory that will remain with him forever.
“I spent over N65,000 for drugs and bed space. It was not easy for me to pay the hospital bill. I have to beg the hospital to pay little by little,” he said with a worried look. “I hope a cure will be provided soon for a common man like me apart from the bone marrow transplant.”
Insights from Expert
In an interview, Olaniyi Owoeye, a consultant hematologist and lecturer from the College of Medicine, Olabisi Onabanjo University, explained that Harmattan, with its extremes of dust and cold, could cause dehydration and sluggish blood flow, which can precipitate vaso-occlusive crisis in a sickle cell patient. He also added that the extremes of temperatures are potent precipitants of criss.
When asked about how sickle cell patients can prevent crises during the harmattan season, he said, “Always cover up well and warm yourself up during lower temperatures and hydrate a lot during the hot and dry periods.”
The doctor went further to advise intending couples to always take the results of their genotype seriously before they marry.
“Certain intending couples who are both carriers of the sickle cell trait (AS) will still go ahead and marry each other with the often erroneous mindset that prayers will prevent them from having children who are sicklers,” he noted.
He thereby cautioned against such habits and added that people who suffer from the SCD shouldn’t go against their doctors on the prevention of the crisis and the control of their symptoms.
“Intending couples, prevention is better than cure, and those who choose daredevil living. The doctor’s knowledge and expertise are meant to help you. Heeding your doctor’s advice will help you live a better quality of life and also enhance your longevity,” he added.
By: Muhammed Akindele