In Commemoration of World Sickle Cell Day, Amana Sickle Cell Foundation Hold a Town Meeting With Stakeholders
ASCF Celebrate Sickle Day Awareness Public And Sickle Cell Victims
Hussain Muhammad Danliti
19th, June is designated by the United Nations as World Sickle Cell Day & for the fourth consecutive year, the Amana Sickle Cell Foundation celebrates the day with a list of activities that enhance awareness creation among the public & bring succor to the lives & of sickle cell victims.
According to the reported by the theme of this year's day is "Hope through Progress: Advancing Care Globally " which perfectly aligns with the activities of the foundation.
The town hall meeting was attended by government officials, traditional, religious & community leaders, sickle cell victims & members of the press & other relevant stakeholders.
The welcome remark at the event was delivered by the chairman of BOT His Excellency Alh (Arc) Audi Sule Katagum, FNIA, Mnim ( Wazirin Katagum )who spoke on behalf of the foundation & offered appreciation to the guests for honoring the invitation.
Dr. Alkali Muhammad the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Administration of the Federal University of Health Sciences presented a lecture on the theme of this year's sickle cell day. He acknowledged that Katagum is a Local Government Area that has quite a number of sickle cell patients which is alarming. He also stressed the need for pre-marital genotype screening as the best form of prevention of the disease & called for a collective effort to ensure concord & compliance.
The Emir of Katagum, heavily represented by Hakimin Azare, Engr Magaji Abdulkadir, commends the effort of the foundation & pledges full support of the Emirate in ensuring that the foundation thrives & carries its message of sickle cell disease awareness to the nooks & crannies of the Emirate.
The Honorable Minister of Health, who was diligently represented by his PA, Hon Baba Sulaiman, Said that assured his full support and the ministry while curtailing the menace of sickle cell disease in Nigeria, and so also applauds the efforts of the foundation, particularly the chairman BOT despite his schedules but always available to serve humanity.
Furthermore the GM of the Human Resource Transmission Company of Nigeria, Alh Aminu Ya’u, who was also the host of the event appreciates the words of wisdom of the guests who spoke earlier at the event & used the Hausa adage " Maganin Ayi Kar afara" loosely translated as "prevention is better than cure" to call the attention of the participants, especially the Youths who are yet unmarried to exercise caution & ensure they go for a pre-marital genotype screening at the earlier stage of their relationship. He also calls for support to sickle cell victims especially those from poor & vulnerable families as the financial burden is unbearable to them. Other guests at the event include Prof Asabe Sadiya Muhammad (provost of Aminu Saleh College of Education Azare), and Alhaji Binni Abdulkadir (Hakimin Sakwa), deputy chairman Katagum LGA, Arc. Usman Jibrin, Dr. Ibrahim Gambo, Malam Adamu Yahaya, and others.
At the end of the event, Treated bed nets, Blankets, and nutritious food packages were distributed to sickle cell victims.