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Dufil donates cash, products to Sickle Cell Foundation

By Eno Bassey
01 February 2015   |   4:40 pm
DETERMINED to tackle the high cases of sickle cell disorder in our society, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Nigeria’s household Noodles brand-Indomie Instant Noodles, on Wednesday donated cash and cartons of Indomie Instant Noodles to the Nigerian Sickle Cell Foundation.   Making the donation on behalf of the company at the National Sickle Cell…

DETERMINED to tackle the high cases of sickle cell disorder in our society, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Nigeria’s household Noodles brand-Indomie Instant Noodles, on Wednesday donated cash and cartons of Indomie Instant Noodles to the Nigerian Sickle Cell Foundation.

  Making the donation on behalf of the company at the National Sickle Cell Centre, Idi Araba, Lagos, the Public Relations Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, said Dufil, as a responsible corporate entity has a history of contributing to the development of good health delivery in Nigeria, and thus touching many lives in many different ways. 

 Ashiwaju explained that the dearth in the funding of the health sector, especially in the area of research and provision of drugs and equipment, was the rationale behind the company’s donation to the foundation.

  According to him, “Sickle Cell is a very complex condition and requires huge amount of funds and research if there is any progress to be made in improving the lives of those living with this condition. 

  “Dufil Prima Foods Plc. saw the need to contribute its quota to ensuring people living with this health condition have access to quality healthcare so as to reduce the number of patient that die annually from this ailment”. 

  He added that Dufil’s intervention became imperative because of the enormous financial implication involved in managing the disease, which could put the average or poor individual who cannot afford it at a disadvantage. 

The chairman of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria,  Prof. Olu Akinyanju, who was present at the donation, thanked the management of Dufil Prima Foods Plc for the kind gesture to the foundation.  

  According to him, the Sickle Cell Centre was set up to address all issues relating to Sickle Cell anemia, while adding that Dufil’s donation would go a long way in achieving the foundation’s goals.

 The Chairman noted that available statistics showed that over 80 percent of children with sickle cell anaemia were born in Africa, he pointed out that Nigeria, by virtue of its large population, records the highest number of births of affected children.

  He, however, expressed optimism that access to affordable treatment would reduce the crisis experienced by children in the early phase of their lives.

Akinyanju therefore called on individuals and corporate bodies to emulate Dufil by supporting the activities of the centre.

 A member of Board of Directors of Sickle Cell Foundation, Mrs. Ayo Otaigbe, also thanked Dufil for their contribution to the foundation. 

 Otaigbe further stressed that “ickle Cell anaemia is a huge burden that requires a lot of support and that Dufil’s donation would go a long way in solving some of the needs of the foundation.”

 Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that affects the haemoglobin within the red blood cells. The recurrent pain and complications caused by the disease can interfere with many aspects of the patient’s life, including education, employment and psychosocial development.

 Sickle cell disorder is by far the commonest inherited disorder in the world and three quarters of cases occur in Africa. In Nigeria, where it affects two out of every hundred children born, it causes suffering for innumerable patients and their families.

 It would be recalled that Dufil Prima Foods Plc had supported the Sickle Cell Foundation in the past and also engages in other Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in the area of education, job creation, pediatric healthcare, community development projects  among others.

 

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