Ikpeazu Advocates Increased Awareness On Sickle Cell 

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has said increased public awareness is a veritable tool for curbing Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the society.
He stated this at the 7th Anniversary of the Vicar Hope Foundation, a pet project of the Governor’s Wife, at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, Friday.
Ikpeazu noted that SCD had been associated with various myths which he said had contributed to the prevalence of the disease in the society, adding that improved public awareness would aid in demystifying the scourge.
“The challenges of sickle cell disease is that there is a lot of mystery around it and we tend to attribute it to all kinds of things such as ‘Ogbanje’, curses from the forefathers for what they did and did not do.
“So, in curbing the menace of sickle cell disease,we should demystify the disease through increased awareness campaign; in doing, so one cannot go wrong,” he said.
He called on members of the society to show love and support to sickle cell patients and shun all forms of discriminations against them.
Ikpeazu commended the Foundation for its achievements in women empowerment, healthcare delivery, building of houses for the indigent, advocacy for genotype test, and campaign against gender-based violence, among others.
Earlier in her address, Wife of the Governor,  Nkechi Ikpeazu, expressed firm resolve to remain committed to offering assistance to the indigent members of the society.
She said the past seven years of her foundation’s existence had not been without challenges, adding that the motivating factor had remained the successes recorded in various spheres of life.
“The joys and pleasures of helping people is unique and you must not have so much to be a blessing to the world.
“You can touch people’s lives with small resources and all that is needed is a generous heart.
“We will work assiduously to deliver our mandate with the support of our friends and partners,” she said.
Ikpeazu said the foundation had entered into partnership with Abia Telehealth Initiative to introduce the use of technology in the foundation’s sickle cell interventions in a bid to strengthen its response, care and management system.