The Sickle Cell Condition Advocates (SICCA) has organised a free “Know Your Sickle Cell Status,” screening at Fadama, a suburb of Accra, to improve the well-being of residents.

The two-day exercise in the neighbourhood, formed part of SICCA’s advocacy for sickle cell prevention through preconception screening for children and adults who are yet to have children.

The founder of SICCA, Charlotte Owusu, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview during the screening, revealed that sickle cell disease could have a catastrophic and painful effect, making sufferers it more susceptible to serious health consequences.

Madam Owusu described the incurable disease as the passing on of two abnormal haemoglobins to a child by both parents, a situation that could only be prevented by early screening.

“One sickle cell gene is enough to make a child healthy, however, he or she is a disease carrier, and there is a higher likelihood that a child born to two parents who are carriers will have sickle cell disease,” she said.

Also, there is a one in four probability that a second child will be born to parents who have already had a child with sickle cell disease, and a child has a one in two chance of carrying the gene like their parents.

She mentioned that the lifelong disease disorder may cause anaemia, severe bone, joint, and chest pain, abnormal pain of a bite, jaundice, repeated infection, chronic leg ulcers, delay in growth, damage to some body organs, and stroke.

Madam Owusu indicated that the barriers to quality health care services in Ghana make it imperative that prevention is the only way forward to avoid suffering befalling a sickle patient.

She revealed that, fortunately, a new method of screening using the Hemo Type SC strip, a rapid test kit for the determination of haemoglobin type, that showed results within ten minutes, and it was accurate and inexpensive, is available.

Madam Owusu advised young people not to be careless about knowing their status but to be guided by reason because the perception of miraculous healing is not possible.

Mr Issah Abdul Rahman, a resident of Fadama who took part in the check-up, told the Ghana News Agency that the exercise was important to create awareness and to avoid some conditions children find themselves in because of the incompatibility of their parents' status. He said it would enlighten will-be parents, the youth, and parents who have carrier children to cater for them well.