Marriage decisions can be the key to reducing Ghana’s alarming sickle cell disease rates, according to Professor Alex Osei Akoto, Principal Investigator of the Patient-centred Approaches to Care and Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease (PACTS) in sub-Sa­haran Africa.

He has, therefore, urged the youth to strive to know their sickle cell status before getting married, given the fact that 2 per cent of all newborns in Ghana are diag­nosed with sickle cell disease.

“When two individuals with the sickle cell trait (AS) marry, they face a 25 per cent chance of having a child with the full disease (SS) with each pregnancy. When people are aware of their status, they can make informed decisions about their partners. This isn’t about restricting peo­ple’s choices but empowering them with knowledge that can affect generations to come,” Prof. Akoto explained.

He spoke to The Spectator during a stakeholder meeting to discuss a study conducted across six hospitals in the Kumasi metropolitan area on how best to treat and manage the disease.

Prof. Akoto noted that peo­ple in sub-Saharan Africa were the largest carriers of the dis­ease as “the gene emanates from black Africa.”

But early detection, he stressed, was key for inter­ventions and reiterated the call for all to know their status.

Prof. Akoto urged clinicians to stick to protocols in the treatment of the disease, stressing the importance “to adhere strictly to established guidelines to ensure optimal care for sickle cell patients.”

The study conducted at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hos­pital (KATH), KNUST, Manhyia, Asokwa, Kumasi South, and Kumasi Metro Hospitals, found that some clinicians were not following standard care protocol.

Dr Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a pediatrician and specialist in sickle cell treatment associat­ed with the project, highlight­ed their innovative approach.

“We are using a unique approach of harnessing the involvement of both patients, families, community, and clinicians to look at how best to treat and manage the dis­ease,” said Dr Osei-Tutu.

He further indicated that one of the most promising developments during the study involved pharmaceuti­cal adaptations for younger patients/children.

Dr Osei-Tutu also empha­sised that the interventions depended critically on early detection. Without timely diagnosis, even the most inno­vative treatments lose much of their efficacy.

“We’re trying to improve the lives of patients by improving what we do at the hospitals. This improvement extends beyond medical pro­cedures to encompass family support systems, communi­ty awareness, and patient education,” explained Dr Osei-Tutu.

The project recently brought together key stake­holders from across the healthcare spectrum to delib­erate on optimising treatment protocols.

This collaborative approach represents a shift in how genetic diseases are managed in Ghana, moving from a pure­ly medical model to a more integrated social-medical framework.

Despite these promising de­velopments, significant chal­lenges remain in Ghana’s fight against sickle cell disease.

Limited resources, geo­graphical barriers to health­care access, stigmatisation, and low awareness continue to hamper efforts to reduce the disease burden.

As Ghana continues to address the high prevalence of sickle cell disease, experts emphasised that knowledge remains the most powerful tool in this fight.

 From Kingsley E. Hope, Ku­masi

 An oncology nurse special­ist and Head of Nursing at the National Radio­therapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has been named one of the top 10 finalists in the prestigious ‘Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award’ out of over 100,000 entries worldwide.

Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, is one of only two Africans to make the final shortlist, and now needs public votes to bring home a historic win for Ghana and Africa.

This was contained in a statement copied to The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday.

According to the statement, currently, the oncology nurse specialist is vying for a cash prize of $250,000 together with other competitors across the world to enable her expand her work in cancer education, mentorship, and care across Africa.

At the National Radiotherapy Oncol­ogy and Nuclear Medicine Center, the statement said, she has championed equity in cancer outcomes, pioneered specialist nurse training, and trans­formed patient care.

“Under her leadership, over 70 oncol­ogy and breast care nurses have been trained,” it added.

It mentioned that, Naomi has worked with leading global institutions includ­ing the Cross Cancer Institute (Canada) to bring high-quality oncology education to Ghanaian nurses.

According to the statement, she had played a key role in developing the country’s postgraduate oncology nursing curriculum and has mentored more than 48 nurses across Africa.

“Her commitment to building capac­ity is helping to raise a new generation of empowered African oncology nurse leaders’’.

“Her influence reaches the interna­tional stage through her work with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), the Inter­national Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC), and ASCO’s global facul­ty’’.

The statement said Ms Oti co-leads research initiatives and policy devel­opment efforts that integrate African perspectives into global oncology prac­tices.

It further mentioned that the Nurse Specialist’s groundbreaking research on breast cancer risks among African wom­en has reshaped early detection strat­egies adding that “her contributions to clinical trial protocols have enhanced patient engagement and data integrity across multiple international studies.”

Ms Oti has received numerous na­tional accolades, including the Ghana Ministry of Health Excellence Award and the Dr Dorcia Kisseh International Award from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association.

Ghanaians have been urged to vote for Ms Oti through https://apply.aster­guardians.com/voting

 By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu