Sickle cell disease: Screen student for before admitting them into secondary schools - ANAQ Foundation

The President of ANAQ Foundation, Mrs. Ama Nyarko Attafuah Quainoo, has called on Ghana Education Service (GES) to screen school children for sickle cell disease when been admitted at the secondary schools.

This, according to the president, will help identify children with such disease for special attention to be given to them while at school to prevent ‘crisis’, a pain that can begin suddenly and last several hours to several days.

Mrs. Ama Nyarko Attafuah Quainoo, who is a sickle cell patient, made the call during a sensitization program on sickle cell at Mankranso Senior High School at Mankraso in the Ahafo Ano South West District in the Ashanti region on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

She also asked the school authorities to put measures in place to periodically check on children with such a non-communicable disease during cold weather periods where they experienced a severe crisis, by providing them blankets, sweaters and warm water.

“The GES should partner with the secondary schools to mandatory screen all first-year students for the sickle cell so that those found will have special attention to avoid any disaster,” she said.

She noted that “the disease is very sensitive when it comes to its management. Sickle cell patients don’t bath with cold water, they only take in prescribed medicine and they always need to keep their body warm.”

“Apart from these, there are foods that they eat and those they don’t eat, so the school authorities must be aware of all these to protect them while on campus,” the ace broadcaster added.

Ama Nyarko Attafuah Quainoo advised sickle cell patients to eat healthy foods like fruits, avoid smoking cigars, alcohol and do regular medical checkups, avoid exposing their bodies to cold temperatures, and having enough rest after work,” she added.

The District Chief Executive of Ahafo Ano South West District, Hon. Joseph Frimpong Bonsu, at the program asked students with the disease to avoid self-medication and to live lives as prescribed by their doctors to avoid falling into unwanted crises.