BY DAYO ADESULU
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with the Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa (CONSA) on September 20, 2021, launched newborn screening for sickle cell disease at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC).
“For me, the sickle cell has been my passion: my thesis for the master degree was in the sickle cell; I am a sickle cell consoler”, Health Minister Dr Wilhelmina Jallah told scores of participants at the launch.
We need to start now to prevent the new cases of sickle cell that will be coming behind us
The Liberian Health Ministry also admonished medical doctors, nurses, as well as health practitioners to buff efforts in providing health and social counselling for patients of the sickle cell for societal integration.
“…But we need to get those who are new—those are the people we need to work with so that they can’t keep producing more sickle cell babies. We need to spend our time; whether it is marriage consoler, or in the churches or wherever we need to do the counselling. We need to start now to prevent the new cases of sickle cell that will be coming behind us. As we prevent, we need to manage those cases we that have because with the little ones they need constant care.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Wilhelmina Jallah used the occasion to thank the partners for the support, describing it as incredible.
“The JFK Medical Center is indeed blessed. We are proud of the launch here today”, Dr Jerry Brown, Chief Medical Officer of the JFK said in a remark. “We’re also going to work along with you to see how best we all can engage it”
The occasion brought together health professionals from both public and the private sector, government officials including representatives from the Department of Pediatrics, Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Liberia Medical and Dental Association, Liberia Medical and Dental Council, among other partners.
