Sickle cell anaemia is a debilitating condition that affects black people in most parts of the world. In Nigeria, it is said that about 100,000 children are born with this condition every year. Many of them suffer, from their childhood, and will not live past their 5th birthday. Those who live longer suffer pains from time to time and have a low life expectancy.

Sufferers cause their parents and relations a lot of hardship and pain and must be a drain to the health service. Over the years, the Nigerian governments [b][/b]did not seem [b][/b]to have a strategy to tackle the condition and the situation has not changed. Yet the condition can be prevented.

Currently, what it takes to prevent the condition is for two people not to bring a child to the world if they know they are likely to produce offsprings that will have sickle cell anaemia. It may mean government will have to test Nigerian kids at a stage in their lives (before they start having relationships) to let them know their sickle cell status. Those who know that a union between two of them may lead to children with sickle cell anaemia may then have to avoid marrying each other. The questions are:

1. Do you think the Nigerian government should test all children to let them know their sickle cell status? If so, at what age?

2. Would you not marry someone you love because both of you may produce children with sickle cell anaemia?

3. Have you ever been in a dilemma because having children with someone you love may lead to children with sickle cell.

Please let us know your opinions and experiences.

I think its important for everyone to know their blood type as the earlier you're aware you are a carrier, you can avoid having a relationship with someone else who is a carrier or if you do have a relationship decide if you will have kids or adopt.

I don't think it should stop you from marrying someone you love and having kids as long as you are aware of the risks. If 2 carriers decide to have kids there's a 1 in 4 chance that one of children will have the sickle cell trait.

Reasons for sickle cell
It is believed that carriers (sickle cell trait) are relatively resistant to malaria. Since the gene is incompletely recessive, carriers have a few sickle red blood cells at all times, not enough to cause symptoms, but enough to give resistance to malaria. Because of this, heterozygotes have a higher fitness than either of the homozygotes. This is known as heterozygote advantage.

The malaria parasite has a complex life cycle and spends part of it in red blood cells. In a carrier, the presence of the malaria parasite causes the red blood cell to rupture, making the plasmodium unable to reproduce. Further, the polymerization of Hb affects the ability of the parasite to digest Hb in the first place. Therefore, in areas where malaria is a problem, people's chances of survival actually increase if they carry sickle cell anemia.

Due to the above phenomenon, the illness is still prevalent, especially among people with recent ancestry in malaria-striken areas, such as Africa, the Mediterranean, India and the Middle East. In fact, sickle-cell anemia is the most common genetic disorder among African Americans; about 1 in every 12 is a carrier.

The evolution of sickle-cell anaemia is probably an example of Baldwinian evolution, whereby humans modify their environment and thus change the selective pressures. As humans in tropical areas in Africa and elsewhere developed agriculture and animal husbandry, they expanded the niche for Anopheles mosquitoes that could transmit the malaria parasite.

It is interesting that in the USA, where there is no endemic malaria, the incident of sickle cell anaemia amongst people of African descent is much lower than in West Africa and falling. Without endemic malaria from Africa, the condition is purely disadvantageous, and will tend to be bred out of the affected population.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickle_cell

if i was the president (hmm, i don come again). i will make sure that:

1. every child is tested by birth and all the blood group and genetype are recorded and known

2. make it illegal for AS to marry AS and SS to marry SS. Simple. Also, any such marriage after the LAW is null and void.

u think am hash? u havent seen anything. my best friend died of SS complications 2 days to his induction. if u see the pain he went through before he died, u will curse any AS who marries another AS.

i must say Deji, that i am shocked at ur blatant and unfair response.I know of a couple, AS ( woman) and SS (man), who are engaged to be married, they are extremely compartible and by Gods grace are christians that truly love each other. the SS man has no symtoms whatsoever of SS. he is hardly ever sick, and infact the woman gets more ill than he does. I belive that when they get married ( God willing), with prayers, their children can survive the plaugued SS syndrome just as the guy has. so should people be denied of love because someone is SS? what would u do if ur fiancee did not tell u s/he was SS ( and u r AS), until a week before the wedding? God is in control, and the bible says in corintians 3 that' now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think'... nothing is too hard for God to do. SS and AS should marry if they love eachother and trust God.
ps. sorry about the loss of ur friend

@abimbola77 i can't imagine that anyone can be as naive as u r. u think my friend wasnt a xtian or his parents were dumbass? let ur friend do whatever he wants but since aint the president, na him sabi

I guess it easy for you to say becasue u are not in that situation or has never been put in that situation and i hope u wont be..

bimbo, i hope it is not u. dont use sentiments to cause wahala for ur future. you probably bright so dont make a dumb move

it's a matter of common sense do not marry someone when you are going to be sad together cos the child keeps falling sick, no matter how much you love each other even if you want to get married why do you want some innocent child to suffer and may be die at last.

Hello friends, i have been following your post and comments from the beginning infact they are both nothing but truth only those that are in the situation can tell the agony, pains and torture experienced. you both have points but i want to tell you that the good news is with the help of God and a hard work of some researcher of health and wellness the solution was discovered.
Pls hear me well the solution that was discovered did not change the status (SS) but apart from the crisis pains and retarded growth an SS patients are know to be a normal human being. What im trying to say is that all the pains, crisis deformity, growth retardation will npt be experienced again, and when all these are no more an SS patient will equally enjoys his or life for as long as God as given such.
I am a father of 3 & half yrs old boy who was born anemic but now could do all sort of things other children could do, he attends school regularly now, no fear of sudden colapse, he eats very well, no more dizziness, swollen in the hands legs are bygone unpredicted series of plaque on a daily basis is over. All this was gone because of the herbal syrup discovered by a nigerian doctor and now is a remedy for sickle cell anemia.
Before we got to know this i have almost run away from my family because of pains troubles experienced on a daily basis. Of all the chemical base drug we have been using it is only folic acid that is useful other are nothing but problems, i will mention few, paludrin, reprofen, hydreuax, Nicobar, and so many other that can remember now, even there is an injection drug like that too. but all to now avail, if they relieves one week tje following week is serious vigil and horror of pains. i first came across a drug from costa rica which really helps too too but once they are attacked by mosquito its a problem, malaria is there greatest enemy which break them down, but once we got the new drug, which i saidd is an herbal syrup they are as good as every normal AAron child.
For anyone who want this solution pls let me know, you can contact me sajolive6@gmail.com or on 08035140763 any day and time. Thanks and God bless.

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