By Hassan John
Twenty-one-year-old sickle cell patient, Clement Habu, has said that the recent announcement by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) it will commence bone marrow transplant on a full-scale by June 2023, is good news to all sufferers of the condition in Nigeria.
Clement stated this while responding to questions from our Correspondent in Abuja on Sunday.
It would be recalled that on Friday, the Professor of Paediatrics, Edamisan Olusoji Temiye, while delivering the 13th Inaugural Lecture in the 2021/2022 Academic Session of the University of Lagos, disclosed that LUTH will soon begin a full scale marrow transplant in the hospital.
Habu who expressed his excitement over the announcement said: “I am happy to know that Nigeria will soon commence marrow transplant, especially, in a government facility. For us who are suffering from sickle cell, this will reduce our suffering and also give opportunity to those who can afford to get the treatment within the country and at a fair cost.
“Many people die needlessly because of lack of proper and prompt treatment, especially, marrow transplant.
“I commend the experts at LUTH for the good work they have done. Many sickle cell patients will have the opportunity to live good lives and live long.
“I, however, appeal that the cost of the transplant should be made affordable considering the economic situation in the country so that many families can take advantage of the facility and get their children or relatives treated.”
On his part, the father of a 9-year-old sickle cell patient in Auta Balefi, a suburb in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Isaac Bala, expressed happiness over the development, stressing that it will bring succour to both parents and children who are suffering from sickle cell in the country.
“This is good news. I can tell you that every parent who is nursing a sickle cell patient is passing through an unbearable hardship.
“With this development, I believe the cost will be affordable considering that it is within the country. I can’t wait to see when it will start so that we can be the first to receive the treatment.
“I appeal to the experts in LUTH to consider making the cost affordable so that both the children of the rich and the poor can access the treatment.”
The lecture was entitled: Catastrophic Diseases of Children – The Despair, The Struggle, The Hope for the Future.
Speaking during the lecture, Prof. Temiye further revealed that the marrow transplant was the result of the collaboration between LUTH and Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN), which also facilitated the establishment of the first Comprehensive Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Centre in Lagos, the first of its kind in West Africa.
When fully operational, the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Centre in LUTH, is anticipated to end the need for Nigerians to travel abroad to seek cure for sickle cell disease.
In addition, the centre is expected to attract medical tourists from other countries seeking safe bone marrow transplantation procedures, marking a new era for medical tourism in Nigeria.
Furthermore, one of the equipment donated to the centre by Chevron/NNPC joint venture, an 8-colour Beckmann flow cytometer, which is required for Prof. Temiye and his team to process and determine the quality of bone marrow obtained from the donor to be transplanted into the recipient, will also assist in the characterization of different types of cancers, particularly leukaemia, in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.
While sharing his 24-year experience in dealing with three catastrophic diseases that affect children: sickle cell disease, HIV infection, and childhood cancers, Professor Temiye compared the statistics of these diseases in Nigeria to global data. He highlighted the fact that Nigeria had the highest population of people with sickle cell disease in the world.
Professor Temiye noted that his research team focused on pain management in sickle cell disorders, an aspect which was not considered by several other researchers and specialists in the field.
According to him, his team were pioneers in conducting clinical trial on a local bean extract called Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea), which is marketed by Neimeth Pharmaceuticals International as Ciklavit®. The trial showed that the product is capable of relieving the painful crises associated with sickle cell disease.
The Inaugural Lecturer expressed his disappointment at the lack of adequate funding for research into the cause, effect, and management of sickle cell disease in Nigeria, despite the high burden of the disorder in the country.
He emphasized the importance of educating citizens from early childhood stages to adulthood about the disease, reducing stigma, and offering support to people living with sickle cell disease.
He commended the efforts of his team, and particularly expressed his appreciation to the management of LUTH led by Prof. Chis Bode, the Chief Medical Director, as well as the management of SCFN for the confidence reposed in him by appointing him as the Chairman of the Bone Marrow Transplant Working Group to ensure that the goals of the centre are realised in the shortest possible time.
