In line with Access Bank’s Employee Volunteering Programme (EVP) launched last year, a group of employees on Friday June 17 partnered the Sickle Cell Association of Ghana (SCAG) to mark the 3rd ‘World Sickle Cell Awareness Day’ which falls on June 19 every year. Under the partnership, the employees will support the SCAG in its outreach and training programs to sensitize the general public about the disease. The collaboration also covers training 100 selected health workers on caring for sickle cell patients. Staff of the bank donated, toiletries, rice, provisions, drinks and some cash totalling GHS 2,500. A member of the project team, Nana Yaw Koranteng, also Head of Corporate Banking at Access Bank presented the cash donation and items to the association. He explained that the team chose to partner the sickle cell project because it was a necessary health awareness drive for the society. This is also in line with the CSR focus of the Bank, she noted: “More so, the ‘World Sickle Day’ was being launched in Tema where the Bank already had presence. It therefore served as a timely opportunity to reach out to sickle cell patients and improve care in the community.” The Public Relations Officer for the SCAG, Mr. Yaw Amponsah who launched activities to commemorate the sickle cell day at the General Hospital in Tema, expressed gratitude to the staff of Access Bank for the support. He said creating awareness about the disease and its treatment is best achieved through local partners, explaining this is ‘particularly important because of the alarming rate of new-borns with the sickle cell disease’.