Ghanaians have little knowledge about the sickle cell disease

Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - About 25 to 30 per cent Ghanaians carry genes, which they are not aware of and when passed on to their children could lead to Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), Professor George Ankrah-Badu Head of the Sickle Disease Unit of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital said on Thursday.

He explained that two per cent of babies born in Ghana have SCD and without medical diagnosis, they die by the age of five through malaria, chest infection and anaemia.

The main presentations in childhood were swellings of the hands and feet, chest infections, severe anaemia due to trapping to the red cells in the spleen, acute infections of the bone, ears and the brain. Prof Ankrah-Badu said this at a two-day media sensitization workshop on Non-Communicable Diseases in Accra that was to open journalists to various non communicable diseases, their causes, how to prevent them and the role of the media.

Prof Ankrah-Badu noted that the disease, being an inherited condition of the blood, caused anaemia and damage to some organs of the body, mainly bones, eyes, brain and the kidneys.

He explained that adolescent patients experienced bone pain crises, stunted growth, protrusion of the jaws, legs ulcers, non erotic persistent erection of their male organs and that delayed their sexual maturation.

The adults, he explained, experienced born pain crises and end-organ damage which might involve the hips, eyes, kidneys and gall-bladder.

He said sickle cell anaemia was the most severe followed by cell beta and the sickle cell Hb C disease and 70 per cent of the anaemia depended on the combinations of the gene types.

Giving the history of the disease, Prof. Ankrah-Badu explained that scientifically, it was discovered in 1910 by a Chicago Physician, Dr James Herrick who examined the blood of a dental student who had a severe anaemia with yellow eyes and saw a sickle shaped red cells and called it sickle cell anaemia.

A sickle cell clinic was then set up in Ghana in 1965 by Dr Felix Konotey-Ahulu, who also pioneered and managed the disease. Prof Ankrah-Badu noted that with Ghana having the largest clinic in the world, there were few clinics in the health system to manage sickle cell patients, adding the few are centred in Accra, Team, Koforidua, Kumasi and Sunyani with few health personnel trained to expertly handle patients in other parts of the country". He called for the need to equip hospitals and clinics with facilities for diagnosis, encourage new-born screening of babies to identify those at risk, set up clinics to manage patients and improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of all health personnel in the country.

For SCD patients, Prof Ankrah-Badu advised that they register with a clinic for appropriate data to be compiled on the disease status, consult a doctor at the slightest sickness and they should also avoid cold baths, swimming, air conditioners, walking in rains and always wear appropriate clothing to avoid chills.

Dr Kwamina Beecham, President of the Ghana Diabetes Association giving an update of diabetes in Ghana said diabetes was on the rise due to the change in people's life styles.

He explained that diabetes had some relation with obesity, foot, eyes, kidneys and cardiovascular diseases and called for the need to raise the awareness that children of all age could suffer from the disease.

"Health facilities should be equipped to be able to do blood sugar testing and protocols and guidelines for management should also be developed", he added. 22 Feb. 07