The Kano State government says 39,000 sickle cell patients will benefit from its free healthcare services under the “ABBACare Initiative,” a program funded through counterpart contributions to improve healthcare access.
The Executive Secretary of Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), Dr. Rahila Aliyu Mukhtar, disclosed this while establishing structures for the initiative across 44 LGAs tagged “ABBACare Sickle Cell Forum.”
This initiative is part of a broader effort to enroll more than 300,000 vulnerable residents in a free health insurance scheme.
Dr. Rahila revealed that “Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital, and Khalifa Sheikh Isyaku Rabiu Paediatric Hospital” were selected to provide free services for persons living with sickle cell disorder.
She said the initiative provides “free services including diagnosis, medications, hospitalization, blood transfusion and specialized care” for the patients.
Dr. Rahila also said the State government was moving to include facilities across the 44 LGAs to capture patients living in distant local governments.
According to her, “the state government will use its counterpart funds, and funds from donor agencies to actualize its objectives”, just as she stressed that “the move is to ease the suffering of persons living with sickle cell disorder in the state”.
She expressed concern over the number of persons living with sickle cell disorder in the state and expressed optimism that the initiative would halt the spread of the disease.
Also speaking, the Founder & Senior Vision Director at Sustainable Innovation and Development Solutions SIDES, Dr Musa Abdullahi Sufi said the timely forum will help in reaching out to sickle cell patients across the State.
Dr. Sufi described the initiative as “A way to save lives”, urging other States in the country to emulate it.
On his part, the President of Kano Sickle Cell Initiative, Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa confirmed that members of the group were already benefiting from the initiative.
Abdullahi who applauded the initiative, urged the state government to expand the initiative "to all its facilities across the state,” to better the lives of people living with the disorder.
At least two percent of Nigeria’s population struggles with SCD. Every year, about 150,000 babies are born with SCD, and 50 million people carry the sickle cell trait.
According to research, nearly half of affected children die before their fifth birthday.
SCD affects not only the physical health of individuals but also disrupts other aspects of patients' lives.
The disease can interfere with educational attainment, where symptoms such as fatigue and pain can lead to frequent school absences. This disruption can limit academic performance.
Beyond causing frequent bone pain crises, SCD causes a range of complications such as stroke, swelling of the hands and feet (dactylitis), anemia, leg ulcers, infections, osteonecrosis, and priapism.
Also, there is a high prevalence of depression and anxiety, exacerbated by the stigma and stress of frequent hospitalizations.
In addition, the stigma and discrimination associated with SCD can create challenges and can make it harder for patients to find employment.
This concern is a threat to Goal 3 Target of the Sustainable Development Goals SDG which promotes healthy lives and well-being for all all ages.
In a move to halt this concern, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in 2024 signed the premarital health screening bill into law.
This legislation prohibits marriages between individuals with matching genotypes, aiming to reduce the incidence of sickle cell births in the state.
