President John Dramani Mahama has committed to adding sickle cell disease to the list of conditions that community health volunteers will screen for under Ghana’s incoming free primary healthcare programme.
He pledged to make sickle cell medication available through the same system.
President Mahama made the announcement during a question and answer session at a dialogue with the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia on Thursday, responding to concerns raised by members of the audience about access to sickle cell diagnosis and treatment.
He acknowledged that sickle cell disease disproportionately affects people of African descent, pointing to a genetic predisposition that made early diagnosis and consistent access to medication a matter of particular urgency for Ghana and the broader African diaspora.
“It is hereditary and it is in our genes, and the science all says that we are more liable to sickle cell disease than other races. And so it is something that we take serious,”President Mahama said.
He said Ghana had already been at the forefront of sickle cell research and intended to maintain that position, with the goal of improving conditions not only for Ghanaians at home but for people of African descent worldwide.
Under the free primary healthcare initiative, six thousand community volunteers, one for each of Ghana’s electoral areas, will move from house to house conducting preventive screenings using blood pressure monitors, glucometers and other basic diagnostic tools.
President Mahama said sickle cell screening would now be folded into that programme, giving it a reach that formal health facilities had never been able to achieve.
Medication to manage the condition will also be made available through the community pharmacy network being set up under the same initiative, he said, ensuring that those identified through screening can access treatment without the financial burden that has historically placed it out of reach for many families.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
