Liberia: Ministry of Health, Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa (CONSA) Launch Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease In Liberia

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The Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with the Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa (CONSA) on today, September 20, 2021, launched newborn screening for sickle cell disease at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC).

“For me sickle cell has been my passion: my thesis for master degree was in sickle cell; I am a sickle cell consoler”, Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah told scores of participants at the launch.

The Liberian Health Ministry also admonished medical doctors, nurses, as well as health practitioners to buff efforts in providing health and social counselling for patients of sickle cell for societal integration.

“…But we need to get those who are new—those are the people we need to work with so that they can’t keep producing more sickle cell babies. We need to spend our times; whether it is marriage consoler, or in the churches or wherever, we need to do the counselling. We need to start now to prevent the new cases of sickle cell that will be coming behind us. As we prevent, we need to manage those cases we that have because with the little ones they need constant care.”

Meanwhile Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, used the occasion to thank the partners for the support, describing it as incredible.

“The JFK Medical Center is indeed blessed. We are proud of the launch here today”, Dr. Jerry Brown, Chief Medical Officer of the JFK said in a remark. “We’re also going to work alone with you to see how best we all can engage it”

The occasion brought together health professionals from both public and the private sector, government officials including representative from the Department of Pediatrics, Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Liberia Medical and Dental Association, Liberia Medical and Dental Council, among other partners.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia.