Ghana is marking three decades of newborn screening for sickle cell disease, yet health experts say the programme remains limited and heavily reliant on donor money. Professor Isaac Odame, head of Haematology at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto’s Centre for Global Child Health, warned that more than half of affected children could die before their fifth birthday if they are not diagnosed early.
Odame highlighted that one in every 50 babies born in Ghana has sickle cell disease, and that early detection coupled with simple interventions can save almost all of them. He urged that screening be expanded nationwide, noting that only a handful of health facilities currently offer the test.
“If you don’t screen them or test them, more than half of them will die before the age of five years,” Odame cautioned at the anniversary event. He also stressed that the existing programmes depend heavily on donor funding, calling for government support to make the service sustainable.
Diana Baidoo, a haematology nurse specialist at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, added that about 1.8 per cent of babies tested so far have the condition – roughly two out of every 100. She warned that delayed diagnosis exposes children to serious complications such as stroke and infections, which can ultimately lead to death.
With the 30‑year milestone, the call for expanded newborn screening and reliable funding has never been louder. The health ministry and national health authorities are expected to respond to the experts’ plea and explore ways to broaden coverage across the country.
