To the extent that Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic disorder, is an inherited disease that is preventable yet prevalent in Nigeria, speaks volumes of the level of pervasive ignorance in the choices of intending couples. That singular action has affected 100 million people globally, and sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 50 percent of children and adult mortality related to this condition.
As part of the statistics made available to mark this year’s World Sickle Cell Day held on June 19, experts said Nigeria records 150,000 cases of SCD annually, representing eight percent of total infant mortality. Additionally, 25 percent of Nigerian adults carry the sickle cell gene, according to studies and hospital records. These figures underscore the urgent need for comprehensive intervention strategies to address this preventable public health crisis.
SCD is a blood disorder that affects the shape and function of red blood cells. It is inherited, and a person needs to inherit two sickle cell genes (one from each parent) to have the disease. Thus, two couples with AS genotypes are more likely to have children with SS genotype, leading to SCD. This simple genetic principle makes the disease entirely preventable through proper pre-marital genetic counseling and testing.
The deputy director of Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mr. Alaba Balogun, said “survivours often suffer chronic complications, including end organ damage, stroke and increased susceptibility to infections, while the psychosocial and economic burden is immense.” The ripple effects of this disease extend far beyond the immediate medical complications, affecting families economically and emotionally for generations.
This preventable disease is prevalent mainly due to human factors such as ignorance, including an AS individual marrying another AS carrier. Thus, couples are advised to check their genotype before marriage to ensure certified genotype compatibility. However, the challenge extends beyond simple awareness campaigns, as cultural and social factors often influence marriage decisions in ways that supersede medical advice.
As simplistic as this prevention strategy appears, there are other psychosocial, economic and environmental factors contributing to SCD prevalence. These include misdiagnosis, fake reagents, substandard laboratories, poor hospital and laboratory environments, and above all, regulatory challenges. These systemic failures create a complex web of obstacles that undermine even the most well-intentioned prevention efforts.
Good prognosis is the foundation for effective management of health challenges. Therefore, to think that fake reagents and misdiagnosis could play a role in such a lifelong, emotionally-draining disease causing pain and misery in the 21st century is an indication of underdevelopment and absence of basic education standards. These are avoidable human errors that standardised regulation and government involvement could prevent with proper oversight and enforcement mechanisms.
The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) president, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, lamented the above causes while emphasising the menace of quackery and fake materials: “I personally went into shops recently to source reagents for electrophoretic genotyping and discovered that many of the products in the market were fake. If a professional like me could nearly be misled, imagine the risk to unsuspecting practitioners who lack the technical knowledge.” This revelation exposes the vulnerability of Nigeria’s healthcare system to counterfeit medical supplies, which poses serious risks to accurate diagnosis and patient safety.
Dr. Ifeanyi challenged the regulatory bodies like the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) to “take urgent action on equipment calibration, reagent validation and enforcement of professional standards.” He further emphasised the need for sustained investment in research and development, noting that “We have capable institutions like the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and the Nigerian Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), yet funding for research into sickle cell solutions is minimal. Donor agencies supporting malaria and HIV should also invest in sickle cell research because of its endemic nature in Nigeria.”
The disparity in funding allocation highlights a critical gap in Nigeria’s approach to addressing endemic diseases. While international attention and resources flow toward malaria and HIV research, SCD receives disproportionately less support despite affecting millions of Nigerians and having clear prevention pathways.
To prevent this disease effectively, we must put the right policies in place and create comprehensive awareness around the disease with clinical interventions. Deputy director of information and public relations, Alaba Balogun, said “Sickle Cell Disease is not just a health issue; it is a societal challenge that demands collective responsibility.” Meanwhile, Dr. Ifeanyi noted that “we must reconstruct our society through science-based awareness and robust regulation of testing.”
These expert opinions converge on a crucial point: addressing SCD requires coordinated action across multiple sectors of society. Healthcare providers, educational institutions, religious organisations, and government agencies must work together to create an environment where prevention becomes the norm rather than the exception.
At Blueprint, we cannot but align with these professional recommendations bordering on a holistic approach to address the crisis. Laboratories are central to this solution. They should be able to differentiate between substandard reagents and original products, and not compromise on human lives for profit by opting for inferior ones. The pursuit of profit must never override the fundamental responsibility to provide accurate, life-saving diagnostic services.
Regulations must be taken seriously by health managers and governmental institutions. The enforcement of standards cannot be treated as optional or subject to political considerations. Religious and traditional institutions must get involved in public education on the dangers of marriages between two sickle cell carriers. These institutions often hold significant influence in marriage decisions and can play a pivotal role in prevention efforts.
SCD is mainly a problem of the underdeveloped world, and solutions must also be locally sourced. International models may provide guidance, but sustainable solutions must account for Nigeria’s unique cultural, economic, and social contexts. Concerted efforts to prevent SCD must be made to free affected families from the sorrow and grief that come through losing loved ones to an entirely preventable genetic condition.
The path forward requires unwavering commitment from all stakeholders to prioritise prevention over treatment, education over ignorance, and regulation over profiteering. Only through such comprehensive efforts can Nigeria hope to reduce the burden of SCD and protect future generations from this preventable tragedy.