Ghana urged to include sickle cell disease education in school curricula — MyJoyOnline
Amos Andoh, founder of the Focus on Sickle Cell Foundation (FoSCel), called for structured, age-appropriate education on sickle cell disease to be included in Ghana’s school curriculum. At a press meeting on September 29 at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, he said young people should receive accurate information about the disease before making decisions about relationships and parenthood.
As MyJoyOnline reports, Andoh believes the country’s response to the issue should not be limited to hospital treatment and awareness campaigns. In his view, awareness should be turned into practical knowledge that will help young people make informed health decisions.
Knowledge of genotype and screening
Andoh stressed that school education can explain to pupils the principles of disease inheritance, the meaning of genotype, genotype compatibility, and the importance of screening. In his opinion, such knowledge will also help counter misinformation, stigma, and stereotypes about people with sickle cell disease.
According to data cited in the report, approximately 15,000 to 18,000 children with sickle cell disease are born in Ghana each year. The country’s Ministry of Health has developed a national strategy, as well as guidelines for screening and patient management, aimed at improving prevention, early diagnosis, and care.
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The foundation’s educational materials
FoSCel had previously advocated for relevant topics to be included in junior and senior high school curricula. The foundation has also developed an educational comic intended to make complex medical information easier for children to understand. According to Andoh, educational activities have already been tested jointly with the Ghana Education Service in the Effutu district, while materials for pupils of different ages and an education policy proposal have been submitted to relevant institutions.
Andoh called on the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the National Health Insurance Authority, and other organizations to support the initiative. He also noted the inclusion of hydroxyurea and other necessary medicines in the national health insurance benefits package, while emphasizing that treatment must be supplemented by preventive education.
The FoSCel founder, who said he lives with the SC genotype, called for an end to discrimination against people with sickle cell disease. He stressed that the disease is not contagious and cannot be transmitted through ordinary social interaction.
