Bomba Dauda
The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking the establishment of Sickle Cell Disorder Research and Therapy Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Sunday Marshall Katung (Kaduna South, PDP), aims to strengthen the country’s response to sickle cell disorder (SCD) through improved research, treatment, and public awareness.
According to Senator Katung, the bill is designed to enhance access to specialised care, foster data-driven research, and provide vital education and support to patients, families, healthcare providers, and communities affected by the condition. It also seeks to ensure accurate diagnosis, curative treatment, and rehabilitative services for individuals living with the disorder.
Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, Katung noted that Sickle Cell Disorder remains the most common inherited disease in tropical Africa, with an estimated 650 children dying from its complications daily. He lamented that Nigeria, regarded as the global epicentre of the condition, accounts for nearly half of the 300,000 newborns affected each year worldwide.
“These alarming statistics contrast sharply with outcomes in developed nations, where more than 90% of patients now survive into adulthood,” the senator observed. “Despite global scientific breakthroughs, Nigeria continues to experience high rates of complications and deaths due to slow adoption of effective diagnostic and treatment strategies.”
Senator Katung described the proposed Research and Therapy Centres as a crucial step toward bridging this healthcare gap, enabling Nigeria to leverage existing scientific advances and provide sustainable solutions to SCD management.
He expressed gratitude to the President of the Senate, the Deputy Senate President, and his colleagues for their “overwhelming support” of the bill, adding that its eventual passage and implementation would mark a new era of hope for thousands of affected families across the nation.
Bomba Dauda
The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking the establishment of Sickle Cell Disorder Research and Therapy Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Sunday Marshall Katung (Kaduna South, PDP), aims to strengthen the country’s response to sickle cell disorder (SCD) through improved research, treatment, and public awareness.
According to Senator Katung, the bill is designed to enhance access to specialised care, foster data-driven research, and provide vital education and support to patients, families, healthcare providers, and communities affected by the condition. It also seeks to ensure accurate diagnosis, curative treatment, and rehabilitative services for individuals living with the disorder.
Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, Katung noted that Sickle Cell Disorder remains the most common inherited disease in tropical Africa, with an estimated 650 children dying from its complications daily. He lamented that Nigeria, regarded as the global epicentre of the condition, accounts for nearly half of the 300,000 newborns affected each year worldwide.
“These alarming statistics contrast sharply with outcomes in developed nations, where more than 90% of patients now survive into adulthood,” the senator observed. “Despite global scientific breakthroughs, Nigeria continues to experience high rates of complications and deaths due to slow adoption of effective diagnostic and treatment strategies.”
Senator Katung described the proposed Research and Therapy Centres as a crucial step toward bridging this healthcare gap, enabling Nigeria to leverage existing scientific advances and provide sustainable solutions to SCD management.
He expressed gratitude to the President of the Senate, the Deputy Senate President, and his colleagues for their “overwhelming support” of the bill, adding that its eventual passage and implementation would mark a new era of hope for thousands of affected families across the nation.
