National sickle cell strategy, vaccine policy launched

The Ministry Of Health has launched the national Sickle Cell Disease Strategy (2024 to 2028) and Vaccine Policy in an effort to address the country’s significant burden of sickle cell disease (SCD).

The Vaccine policy is also to curb vaccine-preventable diseases, which can particularly be devastating for individuals.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Technical Advisor to the Minister, Dr. Darius Osei, said a current data survey estimates that about 15,000-20,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Ghana yearly, hence, representing 2% of all live births.

He emphasised that, the high prevalence of sickle cell disease and traits translates into substantial health, economic and social burden, and the consequences have been extremely devastating for the individuals, their families, the healthcare system and the country as a whole.

“Mostly, children under five, adolescents and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to sickle cell disease-related complications, hence, contributing to higher morbidity and mortality rates,” he stated.

“So the National Sickle Cell Disease Strategy and the National Vaccine policy will aim at improving preventive and therapeutic services for sickle cell disease, while ensuring community education to reduce stigma and discrimination.

He emphasised that, the effective implementation of the vaccine policy led by the National Vaccine Institute will help achieve the collective national health goal of vaccine sufficiency to help protect against childhood illness and emerging public health conditions.

“The government with support from development partners covers the cost of pneumococcal vaccines as part of the Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) for children under five, which is crucial for children with sickle cell disease,” he said.

According to him, the National Vaccine Policy has a vision to make Ghana achieve “vaccine self-reliance” by positioning the country as a vaccine development and manufacturing hub in the Sub Region.

He mentioned that, the National Strategy is essential for addressing the burden of sickle cell disease and improving the quality of life for affected individuals and families.

“As part of government’s effort to improve care to individuals with SCD, hydroxyurea, folic acid and penicillin are covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, making Ghana the first country in Africa to commit to offering a global standard of care for people leaving with the disease,” he said.

The Ag. Director, Technical Coordinator, Dr. Hafez Adam Taher, disclosed that sickle cell is currently the most prevalent genetic disease in the country, affecting about 18,000 out of 896,000 babies born per year, however, it is estimated that one in four Ghanaians have the hemoglobin S or C gene, including high rates of sickle cell disease in the country.

The statistics he said, underscore the critical need for implementing comprehensive strategies to address the morbidity and mortality associated with sickle cell and vaccine preventable diseases.

“The central goal of the National Strategy for Sickle Cell Disease is to create a future where the burden of sickle cell disease is significantly prevented and controlled in the country,” he highlighted.

“We envision that by 2030, Ghana will be able to produce its own vaccines for use in the country and the sub region”, he added.