By:Isaac Amoah (Email: isaacamoah73@yahoo.com)
As part of efforts to get the involvement of all stakeholders in the fight against sickle cell disease (SCD) in Ghana, a two-day media training workshop on SCD has been held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, for journalists,researchers and clinicians
SCD, which is a disorder of red blood cells that can be inherited through two abnormal haemoglobin, is having a negative impact on patients and their families, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Some scenes from the workshop
Therefore, the Patient-Centred Sickle Cell Disease Management in sub-Saharan Africa (PACTS) programme, which is being championed in Ghana by KNUST, aims at tackling the disease by building the capacity of journalists and researchers to be advocates of the disease.
The workshop was held from 10th to 11th March 2025 at Impact Building, University Accommodation and Conference, KNUST.
Dr Bernard Appiah, a key facilitator, took participants through topics such as: “Media Content Analysis: A focus on sickle cell disease in Africa and key steps”, “Introduction to sickle cell disease: Essentials for media professionals”, “Introduction to media reporting: Essentials for health researchers/clinicians”.
Other topics were: “Being interviewed for a media story: A personal experience”, “Interviewing a researcher for a sickle cell disease story: A personal experience”, including other topics.
A group photograph of researchers & clinicians
In his opening remarks, Professor Alex Osei-Akoto, Principal Investigator, PACTS Project, who doubles as Professor and Honorary Consultant Pediatrician, Department of Child Health School of Medicine and Dentistry, KNUST & Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), revealed that plans were far advanced to get every newborn baby in Ghana screened for SCD as part of a national strategy to prevent or control the disease in the country by the Ghana Health Service.
Prof. Osei-Akoto explained that the workshop was aimed to improve the well-being and health outcomes of SCD patients in sub-Saharan Africa through earlier and improved detection of the disease and optimised implementation of known evidence-based clinical interventions, using a patient-centred approach.
Besides, the workshop aimed to enhance individual and institutional capacity to conduct and manage high-quality IR to overcome barriers to optimise SCD care and improving public knowledge about the disease.
Stakeholders were unanimous on their call for all hands to be on deck to help fight SCD. This is because the disease is seen as a significant public health issue.
A study indicates that out of an estimated 896,000 babies born annually, about 18,000 are affected by SCD.
Besides, one in four Ghanaians has the haemoglobin S or C gene. Available records also indicate that close to 15,000 to 20,000 babies are born with SCD in Ghana annually, representing 2 per cent of all live births, while an estimated number of 25 per cent of the Ghanaian population are carriers of sickle cell trait.
The participants/stakeholders supported the national strategy for SCD, especially the plan to screen all newborn babies.
According to the health experts, although screening newborn babies for SCD leads to early detection to ensure treatment, study has revealed that only 5.5% of children are screened for SCD in newborn periods, and most of the cases are diagnosed through emergency department visits during ill health.
The stakeholders have, therefore, urged every Ghanaian to support the national agenda to help fight SCD.
