The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday inaugurated a two-storey paediatric sickle cell centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The facility was donated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) headed by Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
Nigeria accounts for about 30 per cent of global cases of sickle cell disease. In Lagos, the disease is said to be the commonest cause of infant mortality, with surging cases being reported.
Sanwo-Olu, who described the intervention as a “remarkable donation”, noted that the health facility would scale up response time to cases and stem infant mortality in the state.
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.”
In her remarks, Orelope-Adefulire, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos, said sickle cell disease had impacted communities across the nation negatively, subjecting families to psychological torture. This, she said, informed the priority accorded to development of modern medical care capability to address the growing cases.
The SSA disclosed that three million people are living with sickle cell disease in Nigeria, projecting a precarious outlook for the country.
Orelope-Adefulire 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.”
Infant Mortality: Sanwo-Olu Commissions New Paediatric Sickle Cell Centre is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
