Participants at the launch of National Sickle Cell Disease Strategy and National Vaccine Policy<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Ministry Of Health has launched the national Sickle Cell Disease Strategy (2024 to 2028) and Vaccine Policy in an effort to address the country\u2019s significant burden of sickle cell disease (SCD).<\/p>\n
The Vaccine policy is also to curb vaccine-preventable diseases, which can particularly be devastating for individuals.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Technical Advisor to the Minister, Dr. Darius Osei, said a current data survey estimates that about 15,000-20,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Ghana yearly, hence, representing 2% of all live births.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that, the high prevalence of sickle cell disease and traits translates into substantial health, economic and social burden, and the consequences have been extremely devastating for the individuals, their families, the healthcare system and the country as a whole.<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly, children under five, adolescents and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to sickle cell disease-related complications, hence, contributing to higher morbidity and mortality rates,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the National Sickle Cell Disease Strategy and the National Vaccine policy will aim at improving preventive and therapeutic services for sickle cell disease, while ensuring community education to reduce stigma and discrimination.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that, the effective implementation of the vaccine policy led by the National Vaccine Institute will help achieve the collective national health goal of vaccine sufficiency to help protect against childhood illness and emerging public health conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government with support from development partners covers the cost of pneumococcal vaccines as part of the Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) for children under five, which is crucial for children with sickle cell disease,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, the National Vaccine Policy has a vision to make Ghana achieve \u201cvaccine self-reliance\u201d by positioning the country as a vaccine development and manufacturing hub in the Sub Region.<\/p>\n
He mentioned that, the National Strategy is essential for addressing the burden of sickle cell disease and improving the quality of life for affected individuals and families.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of government\u2019s effort to improve care to individuals with SCD, hydroxyurea, folic acid and penicillin are covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, making Ghana the first country in Africa to commit to offering a global standard of care for people leaving with the disease,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Ag. Director, Technical Coordinator, Dr. Hafez Adam Taher, disclosed that sickle cell is currently the most prevalent genetic disease in the country, affecting about 18,000 out of 896,000 babies born per year, however, it is estimated that one in four Ghanaians have the hemoglobin S or C gene, including high rates of sickle cell disease in the country.<\/p>\n
The statistics he said, underscore the critical need for implementing comprehensive strategies to address the morbidity and mortality associated with sickle cell and vaccine preventable diseases.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe central goal of the National Strategy for Sickle Cell Disease is to create a future where the burden of sickle cell disease is significantly prevented and controlled in the country,\u201d he highlighted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe envision that by 2030, Ghana will be able to produce its own vaccines for use in the country and the sub region\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n
By Janet Odei Amponsah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Participants at the launch of National Sickle Cell Disease Strategy and National Vaccine Policy \u00a0 The Ministry Of Health has launched the national Sickle Cell Disease Strategy (2024 to 2028) and Vaccine Policy in an effort to address the country\u2019s significant burden of sickle cell disease (SCD). The Vaccine policy is also to curb vaccine-preventable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":247945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-247944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n
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