Mrs Janet Valerie Datsa Agbotse, the Hohoe Municipal Director of Education, says early detection with appropriate care, could effectively help manage Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), especially among school children. She said over the years, it was realised that most pupils with the disease found it difficult fitting into the basic school systems, especially in the early grades due to the crisis which caused a high rate of absenteeism among affected persons. Mrs Agbotse at the Sickle Cell Open Day organised by the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health and the School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Hohoe, noted that eating balanced diets and living a healthy life, could protect SCD clients against the harsh conditions of the disease and life. She spoke on the theme: ‘Enhancing Sickle Cell Disease Care in the Basic Schools: The crucial role of the Educational Services in Screening and Preventive Management.’ Mrs Agbotse said sufferers of SCD faced several health complications that could delay their growth and education, such that they might not be able to move at par with their age mates, thereby delaying the attainment of their dreams. She said it was important that teachers were well informed on how to handle these special learners, to help unearth their talents and promote learning across board in schools irrespective of the health conditions of the students. Mrs Agbotse noted that many lives had been lost due to poor management of the disease and inadequate information on the condition by parents, patients, and caretakers. She urged parents to also take special care of their children with SCD by prioritising their feeding, clothing, health, and educational needs, while encouraging the students they had the chance to live longer than perceived. Mrs Agbotse noted that it was a delight that as part of activities, a total of 5,000 students in the Municipality would be screened for the disease and identified for management. She appealed to health professionals to explain in detail to parents of students who might be identified to be clients of the disease on how their medication should be administered. Mr Charles Kofi Azagba, the Hohoe Municipal Director of Health Services, said clients of the disease were not the only people being affected but also their parents and others close to them, hence the need to know one’s status as early as possible. He said the Municipality had recorded a total of 377 SCD cases in 2018 made up of 181 males and 196 females, 286 cases in 2019 involving 185 males and 201 females, while in 2020 it rose to 567 cases, with 215 males and 352 females. Mr Azagba noted that a total of 460 cases were recorded in 2021 with 149 males and 311 females but dropped a bit in 2022 to 361 cases with 140 males and 221 females. He noted that the age group of the clients was below 19 years, adding that the health centres needed to be equipped to ensure effective service delivery. Mr Azagba said the Municipality had been zoned into six Networks to ensure that they coordinated and worked together for better service delivery. Mr Daniel Noble Awume, the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive, noted that with UHAS and the Regional Hospital in the Municipality, the scope of health infrastructure planning was now expanded. He said since 2017 and particularly 2021, several health infrastructures had been provided to make health service delivery available at the doorsteps of the citizenry and accessible to all. Mr Awume said a standard infrastructure, well-equipped, was urgently needed for the Regional Hospital in handling SCD cases starting with the allocation of a ward at the facility for the purpose and making available testing kits at various health centres. Mr Peter Mensah, the President, Sickle Cell Association of Ghana (SCAG), condemned the stigmatisation of clients with SCD, and called on public to endeavour to know their sickling statuses. He said a goal of the Association was make life better for clients of SCD in Ghana through education, management, and counselling, among others. The occasion also saw the inauguration of the Hohoe Chapter of SCAG and handing over of SCD materials to Basic and Senior High Schools in Hohoe and the Sickle Cell Clinic, Volta Regional Hospital, Hohoe.
Source: Ghana News Agency