The Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) has called on Nigeria to take a leading role in a new global partnership aimed at transforming sickle cell disease (SCD) care worldwide. This appeal was made during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York, where SCFN joined the Nigerian delegation and global health stakeholders to launch OneSCD: A Global Partnership to Advance Equity and Transform Sickle Cell Care.
Dr. Annette Akinsete, National Director and Chief Executive Officer of SCFN, emphasized that Nigeria, with its extensive experience in SCD advocacy, service delivery, and locally developed solutions, should be considered an early demonstration country for implementing the OneSCD partnership. The Nigerian government hosted the event, which was led by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako.
The event saw participation from governments, international organisations, global health institutions, civil society groups, and people living with SCD. According to Dr. Akinsete, Nigeria’s contribution to the global partnership goes beyond its SCD burden, bringing experience, institutions, technical expertise, civil society, lived experience, and solutions developed in its own context.
Dr. Akinsete also called for a shift in how global SCD interventions are developed, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. She stressed that countries affected by the disease should not be treated merely as recipients of solutions developed elsewhere but recognised as co-creators and partners in designing, adapting, testing, and implementing interventions that reflect their realities.
The OneSCD partnership, launched with the support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, aims to strengthen global coordination, resource mobilisation, and shared learning on SCD. The platform could connect Nigeria’s existing SCD programmes and expertise with broader international efforts to improve prevention, diagnosis, and comprehensive care.
SCFN’s work in Nigeria spans genetic counselling, early detection, prenatal diagnosis, Transcranial Doppler screening, treatment access, cure, healthcare-worker training, community awareness and mobilisation, research, and advocacy. The Foundation has supported over 32,000 Transcranial Doppler screenings, 259,000 haemoglobin investigations, 70,000 medication interventions, 3,500 prenatal diagnosis interventions, and over 10,000 genetic counselling engagements.
The World Health Organisation estimated that 7.74 million people were living with SCD globally in 2021, with about 515,000 new births recorded that year. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the global SCD burden. SCFN remains committed to working with the Nigerian Government, global health institutions, and other stakeholders to strengthen sustainable solutions for prevention, diagnosis, comprehensive care, and cure.
Key points
- SCFN urges Nigeria to lead OneSCD partnership
- Nigeria has extensive experience in SCD advocacy and service delivery
- OneSCD aims to strengthen global coordination and resource mobilisation on SCD
