Lira club uses sports to raise awareness about sickle cell

Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Lira-based sporting club has embarked on using sports to raise awareness about sickle cell anemia. Lira and generally Lango sub-region has one of the highest prevalence sickle cell anemia which leads to sickle cell disease. Studies have generally found that Northern Uganda leads in the prevalence of the sickle cell trait estimated at 18.6%. Alebtong district has the highest prevalence rate in Lango with an estimated 23.9 percent, higher than the National prevalence which stands at about 15.5 percent.

Funs and founders of Lira City Elite Club have included sickle cell screening and awareness in its monthly activities. Persons found to be living with sickle cell are equipped with information before being referred to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for treatment and management.

Cosy Eton, one of the members of Lira City Elite Club told URN that sickle cell has been neglected despite its high burden in the Lango sub-region.

“Different people from different companies and institutions and fans have gathered here for the games so we believe that after talking to them and getting screened, they will get back home and at their respective workplaces and also convey the same message about sickle cell,” explained Eton

Daniel Roy Odur, the president of Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation told URN that he was disappointed that people in Lira and Lango have not embraced the opportunity offered by Lira City Elite Club. He said knowing one’s status is important in preventing further spread.

Odur who attribute the high burden of the disease to inter marriages between members whose clans split to form new clans rallied community members to screen for the disease before engaging in marital relationships.

“The Ministry of Health alone has come up with new born screening and we are saying thank you but now we need to take the prevention approach and advocacy. If we come up and drum around, say that before you get married or before you have babies can you screen for sickle cell because ideally treating this disease is not easy so can we prevent it before we think of giving out medication.”

Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson applauded the club for introducing the activities saying it is fostering community policing as well as improving the health of the police officers.

Sickle cell disease is the most common hereditary blood disease in the world. Studies have found that sickle cell anemia patients lacked information on sexuality, especially about the risks of pregnancy and the possible inheritance of the disease by their children.

Annually, in Uganda, 25,000 babies who are having sickle cell are born and about 80 percent of them do not make it past their fifth birthday.

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URN