Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has called for an end to the stigma towards sickle cell patients, urging those going into marital unions to always double check, as just one result might not confirm one’s true health records.
ANN reports that Mrs Soludo, while speaking in Awka, asked couples intending to get into marital relationships to know their genotype to save the children from avoidable health risks.
Mrs Soludo explained that being indifferent to vital pre-marital health verifications, will only bring emotional and health trauma to the affected family, while hindering a child’s dreams and future.
She noted that intending couples must see the health compatibility requirement, as well as other important health assessments, as paramount to the family’s overall future, and that of the immediate society.
According to the governor’s wife, those who disregard those essential steps, out of love, have only created avoidable health risks and an unhealthy social circle.
She regretted that despite the efforts being made to cut down the number of children born with sickle cell anemia and other perinatal sicknesses, especially in Anambra State, some people still pay less attention to the risks of getting married without due health compatibility assessment.
Dr Soludo called on parents, health awareness crusaders, social and religious groups, to do more in educating the people on the inherent dangers of going into marital relationships without having proper genotype and blood group tests.
The governor’s wife noted that though Anambra State has a comparatively less number of children born with sickle cell disease, efforts should be sustained to bring down the number to zero.
