Prof. Nwagu, a Professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at the Edo University Iyamho, made the call while delivering the 17th Inaugural Lectures series of the institution. He revealed that there are about 200 registered haematologists in Nigeria serving a population of about 200 million people, which translates to one haematologist serving a population of one million Nigerians.
According to him, the only cure for sickle cell disease is successful haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Bone marrow transplantation). Prof. Nwagu also noted that blood donation is still not regular and very low in Nigeria, making blood products not always available.
“We recommend more awareness to be created in the churches and free routine population screening to be encouraged even in primary schoolsas many adults don’t even know their Haemoglobin genotype,” he said.
The professor also highlighted the challenges of using cytotoxic drugs, saying they are not readily available and are very expensive, making them out of reach for many Nigerians. He recommended that there should be a compulsory determination of sickle cell status among prospective couples before getting marriage.
“If possible, let there be a legislation making sickle cell screening compulsory before marriage,” he added. Prof. Nwagu also called on the government to ensure that cytotoxic drugs are available and affordable in hospitals.
He further suggested that Nigerian first ladies should take it as their pet project to sponsor one HbSS transplant per year, which would translate to 36 cases per year and 142 cases per tenure of 4 years.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Dawood Egbefo, said inaugural lectures would soon be a key criterion for further academic progression, adding that the university stands as a leader in academic excellence, supported by a highly qualified and dedicated staff.
