Bridging the ignorance gap is one of the effective ways we work tirelessly to reduce the incidence rate of sickle cell disorder in Nigeria. We carry out community and grassroots-driven sensitization, education and advocacy events across difficult-to-reach areas with low health literacy, rural communities, urban communities and clusters where persons of interest live across Nigeria.

Over the years with the help of great partners, we have carried out impactful outreaches across a few states in Nigeria. Sickle cell disorder is a national problem affecting the whole country and we need to scale our interventions across the country.

We are working towards scaling our community outreaches across the nation’s 6 geo-political zones to achieve a wider scale of impact.

When people are rightly and adequately informed, they will be able to make informed decisions that will directly or indirectly lead to the incidence of sickle cell disorder.

WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE CAN DRIVE THIS SOLUTION ACROSS NIGERIA!

ANNUAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH TRACKER

Sickle cell disorder contributes to 8% of child mortality in Nigeria. Over 150,000 children are born with SCD annually. We Support Primary & Secondary Health Care facilities in Nigeria with screening kits, drugs and adequate education to decrease child mortality through screening for SCD followed by preventive measures deployed through the provision of adequate drugs and counselling for families to aid them give children born with SCD the adequate care that will enable them to lead healthy, long, productive and fulfilling lives.

We run a state-of-the-art Haemoglobin, Chemistry as well as DNA Molecular Laboratory services - Genotype determination, FBC, Hb Quantification, Liver Function Test (LFT), prenatal diagnosis among other haemoglobin, chemistry and molecular investigations.

Over 244,470 haemoglobin and chemistry investigations have been carried out in the laboratory since inception. These advanced facilities reflect SCFN’s commitment to providing accurate and comprehensive diagnostic support for individuals affected by sickle cell disorder (SCD).

The reference Haemoglobin Laboratory at the National Sickle Cell Centre offers world-standard accurate diagnosis thus eliminating the current high risk of obtaining incorrect Hb genotype results, the laboratory results can be emailed to requesting doctors and clinics.

The SCFN organizes capacity-building training programmes regularly for different cadres of healthcare workers and other stakeholders. The training courses include:

1. Genetic counselling training courses.
2. Update seminars on the treatment of sickle cell disorder.
3. Training workshops on the laboratory diagnosis of sickle cell and related disorders.
4. Training of a cadre of Sickle Cell Specialist Nurses.

We deliver genetic counselling at the National Sickle Cell Centre and in Sickle Cell Clinics and Sickle Cell Clubs with highly trained personnel – volunteer or paid staff.

Prior appointments are necessary and sponsors are required to enable us to expand and sustain this essential service.

We provide prenatal diagnosis services to determine the genotype of unborn children. This advanced genetic testing method empowers expecting parents to determine the genotype of their unborn child during early Our state-of-the-art DNA laboratory provides prenatal diagnosis of fetal genotype services as well as other advanced molecular diagnosis.

This advanced diagnosis provides couples-at-risk (when both parents carry the S or C trait e.g. Hb AS and Hb AS) of sickle cell offspring with the accurate information about their unborn genotype, allaying their anxieties and preparing them for timely interventions such as genetic counselling and appropriate early care, which go a long way to prevent/reduce the frequency of illness or premature death. Since the commencement of this service at the foundation, over 2750 individuals have benefitted from this initiative.

Research is central to progress in all aspects of SCD. Some research projects are ongoing and plans for extensive molecular, pathological, clinical, and operational research on SCD are being made. We look forward to adequate funding for qualitative research training and performance in Nigeria.

With outstanding partner support, we have supplied free drugs and overseed the running of 16 dedicated Sickle Cell Clinics located in Kano, Asaba, Benin, and Lagos. We are currently exploring expansion opportunities to have more Sickle Cell Clinics across various states in Nigeria. These clinics have, as expected, recorded improvement in the quality and longevity of the lives of their patients. The foundation has reached over 71,000 beneficiaries since the inception of this new programme.
The goal of this intervention is to demonstrate to the host State Governments, the beneficial impact of Sickle Cell Clinics on the lives of affected persons and hopefully, encourage them to take over the running of the Clinics and expand their coverage within the State.

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We Offer life-saving automated exchange blood transfusion using an APHERESIS MACHINE. An increasing number of patients with serious complications of SCD have begun to access this life-saving service at our national sickle cell centre.
With the Apheresis Machine, the transfusion procedure hardly lasts for up to one hour.
The Exchange Blood Transfusion procedure helps to improve vital oxygen delivery around the body, improving the clinical condition of the patient more efficiently than a simple transfusion. It is done by simultaneously replacing abnormal Red Blood Cells (RBCs) in the patient with normal Donor Red Blood Cells (Hb AA cells).

EBT also helps to prevent or decrease Iron overload associated with simple top-up blood transfusions. The automated system takes out the patient’s red blood cells and returns the patient’s own plasma in addition to the Hb AA Donor red cells, so as to reduce the number of defective Hb SS Red Blood Cells while also controlling fluid balance. EBT is able to reduce Hb SS red cells to about 30 percent from the usual 85/90 percent.

1. Medical treatment subsidy for the needy
2. Educational grants
3. Job skills training
4. Business enterprise support

Providing welfare assistance for medicines, surgical procedures, Educational grants, skills acquisition, and job placement, business enterprise support, and capacity development platforms.

We invest lots of resources in Educating the public through community outreaches, seminars, symposiums, virtual contact sessions, etc. to enlighten our public about the intricacies of Sickle Cell Disorder. This has helped us reshape narratives, deal with prejudice, close the ignorance gaps, influence positive lifestyle changes, challenge myths, and shed light on the barriers that have hampered the success of Sickle Cell Intervention efforts.

Bone Marrow Transplantation is the medically known cure for sickle cell disorder and we offer this service at Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria.
The Bone Marrow Transplant programme is a joint effort of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
Before this cure programme started in-country, the Foundation in Partnership with IME FOUNDATION-Mediterranean Institute of Heamatology Sponsored the bone marrow transplant of 50 persons.

Our Handbook for doctors and nurses developed in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) was a major resource in the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health’s (FMOH) review of guidelines for the management of Sickle Cell Disorder in Nigeria. Our draft strategic plan that was presented to the HMH in 2018 was used as a resource in the development of the policy on NCDs by the Federal Ministry of Health.