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Medical expert advocates premarital genotype screening to check spread of scourge

Health

Medical expert advocates premarital genotype screening to check spread of scourge

Genotype
By Leonard Okachie
Umuahia, July 24, 2019 ( NAN) Dr Andrew Ekharogbon, an Umuahia-based physician, has advised the nation’s youths to undergo premarital genotype screening to check the increasing prevalence of sickle cell anaemia.
Ekharogbon, a senior medical officer at Vicar Hope Foundation, a pet project of the Wife of Abia Governor, Mr Nkechi Ikpeazu, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Wednesday.
NAN reports that the foundation was set up by Ikpeazu mainly for the management of sickle cell patients.
He attributed the prevalence of the disease to the wrong matching of couples with conflicting genotypes.
The medical practitioner urged youths to resist the temptation to marry spouses with conflicting genotypes on the basis of love or other sentiments.
According to him, intending couples should ensure that they are in a relationship with compatible partners.
He said: “Before you say ‘I do’ to any man or woman, know the genotype of that person. And if you are not compatible let the person go.
“Our parents made the mistake.In this 21st century if you repeat the mistakes of your parents you are more stupid.”
Ekharogbon said that Nigeria had the highest number of sickle cell victims in the world with at least 150,000 children born annually with the disorder.
He further said that Nigeria carried 50 per cent of the global burden, with over 300,000 sickle cell babies born globally.
He said that the lack of adequate sensitisation on genotype among intending couples and  the absence of realistic government policies had led to the spread of the genetic disease in the country. (NAN)
LEO/OSA/USO
(Edited by Shittu Obassa/Sam Oditah)

 

 

 

 

 

Genotype

By Leonard Okachie

Umuahia, July 24, 2019 ( NAN) Dr Andrew Ekharogbon, an  Umuahia-based physician , has advised the youths to do premarital genotype screening to avert bearing children affected  sickle cell anaemia.
Ekharogbon, a senior medical officer at Vicar Hope Foundation, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Wednesday.
NAN reports that the Foundation is a non-governmental  organisation(NGO) established mainly for the management of sickle cell patients.
He attributed the prevalence of the endemic disease to the wrong matching of couples with conflicting genotypes.
The medical practitioner urged youths to resist the temptation to get married to spouses with conflicting genotypes on the basis of  love or other sentiments, stressing that they should ensure  that they are in a relationship with compatible partners.
He said :“Before you say ‘I do’ to any man or woman, know the genotype of that person. And if you are not compatible let the person go.
“Our parents made the mistake.In this 21st century if you repeat mistakes of your parents you are more stupid.”
Ekharogbon said that Nigeria had the highest number of sickle cell victims  in the world,adding that  more than  150,000 victims  of  the disorder were born annually.
He noted that the country carried 50 per cent of the global burden, with over 300,000 sickle cell babies born globally.
The medical practitioner noted that lack of adequate sensitisation on genotype among intending couples and  the absence of realistic government policies have led to the spread of the genetic disease in Nigeria.(NAN)
LEO/OSA
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Edited by Shittu Obassa
(07032731474)
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