NGOP0011-INTERVIEW WITH OLORUNMOLA VICTORIA (FOLUMY SICKLE CELL FOUNDATION)
According to a research paper published by Akinyanju O.O, a scholar from the department of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, It’s stated that Nigeria has a population of over 190million, with an annual growth rate of 3.2% and about 25% of adults throughout the country have the sickle cell trait.
However, Media agencies in Nigeria such as ThisdayNewspaper,Vanguard Newspaper and Leadership newspaper also made a publication about sickle cell stating that about 150,000 children are born with sickle cell disease every year in the country, making Nigeria the highest country with sickle cell patient across the globe.
With that being said, many organizations has stood up to play their role in reducing the rate at which we have sickle cell patient in Nigeria.
Out of many organization doing this is Folumy Sickle Cell Foundation, a non-for profit organization which is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
On this episode, I had an interview session with the Founder of the foundation, Olorunmola Victoria, a graduate from the department Mass communication from Bowen University,Nigeria.
While on conversation with Olorunmola, she shared some fact about sickle cell which got me thinking.
Among the recommendations, she gave for the prevention is that carriers should not marry AS or SS, education about inheritable nature of the disease. She stressed the need for public education to determine genotype, so that incompatible people do not fall into love let alone marry each other.
You need to listen to our conversation!
Links Mentioned on this episode: