Sanwo-Olu inaugurates sickle cell centre in Lagos

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has inaugurated the Paediatric Sickle Cell Centre in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

The purpose-built medical facility was donated by the office of Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the senior special assistant (SSA) to the president on sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Speaking during the inauguration, on Friday, Sanwo-Olu described the intervention as a “remarkable donation” strategic to the state’s healthcare value chain.

The governor noted that the project would scale up response time to cases and stem infant mortality.

“This collaboration with the office of the SSA to the president on SDGs is a testament to our collective commitment to improving care for children living with sickle cell diseases,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“I acknowledge Princess Orelope-Adefulire for her vision and unwavering commitment to healthcare advancement that made this centre a reality. This will not only transform our healthcare landscape, it will also add to the number of child care facilities in Lagos.

“If we all work together, we can achieve a lot more together. This hospital will provide a comprehensive care that will include early diagnosis, advanced treatment and continuous management to children that are suffering the debilitating condition. The centre will also serve as a hub for research and education, which will foster and deeper understanding of the disease. More importantly, it will contribute to reducing infant mortality index.”

Sanwo-Olu said the facility would nurture an environment where children would get holistic care tailored to their individual needs, including medical treatment and psychological support.

The governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for finding Lagos worthy to benefit from the intervention. He said the project has further reinforced the health vision of the president to enhance the nation’s capacity to meet global health coverage.

Tunji Alausa, the minister of state for health, described sickle cell as a health burden on the nation.

He said the disease doesn’t affect carriers alone, but also places constraints on family members and community as a whole.

Orelope-Adefulire, a former deputy governor of Lagos, said sickle cell disease has impacted communities across the nation negatively, subjecting families to psychological torture.

She said this informed the priority accorded to development of modern medical care capability to address the growing cases.

The SSA said the president approved the initiative to further demonstrate his commitment to achieving all targets set in Goal 3, Target 2 of the SDGs and leave no one behind in the initiatives rolled out to address the challenges.

“This intervention is a cardinal pillar of healthcare and empowerment in the Renewed Hope agenda of the current administration. Knowledge and skill among the public health workers are critical to improving the care for sickle cell cases. Before now, LASUTH treated 45 out of 1,000 patients weekly due to constraints of space and facilities,” Orelope-Adefulire said.

“This Sickle Cell Care Centre will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3, Target 2, which seek to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, thereby reducing global burden to 25 per 1,000 by 2030. In Nigeria, our target is to achieve zero per 1,000 at the end of implementation period.”

Adetokunbo Fabanwo, LASUTH chief medical director, said the facility would offer preventive and therapeutic care to child sufferers, thanking Orelope-Adefulire for supporting the teaching hospital with the project.