A ‘’Smile’’ to Manage Sickle Cell Disease

24 August 2023, 6:06 pm

By Emmy Daniel Ojara

zaagulu@gmail.com

The management of sickle cell disease is expensive as it requires daily use of prophylaxis such as antimalarial, folic acid, and penicillin, to reduce rates of infections.

Those who are on hydroxyurea, a drug that greatly reduces the episodes of pain crisis spend much due to the high price of the drug.

In most cases, vulnerable families that cannot afford complementary drugs resort to the use of herbal medicines to manage the condition.

Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to form the shape of a sickle, affecting its easy flow through the veins, and leading to pain. This is a lifelong disease.

About 33,000 babies are reportedly born with the disease annually in Uganda.

However, 80 percent of these die before the age of five due to disease complications, while about 16 percent of early infant mortality in the country is attributed to the disease, according to the Ministry of Health figures.

The disease burden is high in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions. For instance, Gulu has a prevalence of 19.9% sickle cell trait, 19.6% trait in Nwoya, and 17.7% in Kitgum districts.

Since 2009 when the sickle cell clinic opened, at least 2000 sickle cell patients were cumulatively received at the facility. Currently, 650 patients are active.

In a drive to address these challenges, there has been an increased advocacy by health practitioners and stakeholders.

They target to woo the population to know their status, increase resource allocation for disease control, and avoid stigmatization as the latter is considered witchcraft among other people.

Regardless of all, there is one easiest and most affordable way that could save sickle cell patients and make them relatively well, and that is a’’ smile’’.

As it is, a smile is the universal sign of kindness, this kindness adds up to the days of those suffering from sickle cell disease.

Dr. Venice Omona, the head of the pediatrics department at St. Mary`s Hospital Lacor explains that most sickle cell patients can live relatively well if their emotional wellbeing is treated well.

Dr. Venice says that one of the triggers of sickle cell is psychological stress, adding that it affects the immune system of the patients hence causing a surge in their conditions.

He added that other factors include extremes of temperature and those that require a lot of oxygen. He asks that the psychological well-being of sickle cell patients is very paramount in managing the condition, at no cost!

Listen to Dr. Omona explaining the relationship between sickle cell and psychological stress in the audio. English byte.

Dr. Omona has also advised that those who have the sickle cell gene live normal lives, and that is why it is paramount to know their genotype before deciding to have children, or premarital counseling in case they are both carriers and don’t want to separate. 

In July this year, beauty queens under the Face of Gulu launched advocacy and sensitization of the community on the importance of carrying out sickling tests before marriage.

The initiative which is being headed by Jennifer Adong who is the current Miss Talent Gulu University 2022/2023 and Fioan Mary Acibo the Face of Gulu and Miss Nwoya 203/2024 points out that many people are ignorant about sickle cell.

Their campaign seeks to create awareness and to provide material and emotional support to the sicklers because many of them have lost hope and want to live in hiding.