Sickle cell treatment added to NHIS list

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced the addition of hydroxyurea, a modifying therapy for sickle cell to the list of drugs under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by the government of Ghana.

The announcement comes barely a month to the end of the partnership with Novartis to provide free hydroxyurea for people with sickle cell disease in the country.

“As the world marked Sickle Cell Awareness Day on 19 June, I am pleased to announce that at a meeting I chaired on June 8, 2021, with stakeholders including Professor Ohene Frimpong, President of the Sickle Cell Foundation, the Minister of Health, the National Health Insurance Authority and Novartis, it was agreed that hydroxyurea, a modifying therapy for sickle cell will now be provided under the NHIS to improve the physical health of people living with it,” Dr Bawumia posted on Facebook.

“This is a promise that has been fulfilled by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he added.

2% of all live births have sickle cell

Meanwhile, the Founder and executive director of the Lemuel Hearts Foundation, Dr Yvonne Senam Woyome, has revealed that an alarming 2% of all live births in Ghana annually have sickle cell, adding that Ghana is one of the sickle cell endemic countries in the world.

She explained that Ghana has not done well so far in creating awareness on sickle cell and hence reducing the condition and stressed the need for sickle cell to be brought to the forefront of national conversations considering the damage it is wreaking.

She, however, said a new drug; Hydroxyurea has brought hope to people suffering sickle cell. Hydroxyurea is likely to be taken off the NHIS drug list by August.

A sickle cell patient on medication will have to visit the hospital every month for tests which will cost around GHC100 and do some more tests every three months that will cost even more.

Dr Woyome, who is also a physician at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital advised against the reliance on traditional medicine in the case of sickle cell.

Dr Woyome also appealed to corporate entities and passionate individuals to help support sickle cell awareness creation efforts as it is very difficult to obtain support for their activities.

Experience

Vida Bonwo, a mother of two children living with sickle cell, shared her experience.

She recounted moments where she had to sell all her belongings to take care of her two children who are 3 and 9.

She said she has resorted to herbal treatments for her children because of lack of funds to take them to the hospital.

She called for assistance to take care of the medical needs of her children.