Patients discharged as LUTH records first successful bone marrow transplant

Following a successful Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) two months ago, the first set of patients has been discharged after weeks of meticulous expert care.

This was announced by the chairman, Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria (SCFN), Chief Tunde Afolabi who added that the two patients; one pediatric and one adult will continue to be followed up by experts to ensure maximum care.

Sickle cell disorder is an inherited disease in which the red blood cells have an abnormal crescent shape, block small blood vessels, and do not last as long as normal red blood cells.

Afolabi said the disorder remains a significant global public health issue that affects nearly 100 million with over 50 percent deaths among those with the most severe form of the disease.

He noted that inadequate management has led to a high mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 70 percent of sickle cell births occur.

While an estimated 50 million people are sickle cell trait carriers and are at risk of passing the disorder to their offspring, Afolabi explained about 150,000 babies were born annually with SCD, and over 100,000 die before their fifth birthday in Nigeria.

“With the average life expectancy of individuals in Nigeria living with SCD at only 20 years, the need for access to effective treatment and cure has never been more urgent,” he said.

Speaking on the cost of treatment, the chairman noted that the transplant is expensive. He added that many individuals with SCD live below the poverty line and face significant barriers to care. “This underscores the critical need for multi-sectoral collaborations and funding support to create a sustainable model for treating SCD in Nigeria.”

He appealed for partnerships with government bodies, private organizations, and philanthropists to expand Access to Care Programme, a digital platform that connects sponsors with patients in need of financial support with transparent fund tracking and treatment progress which is being developed by SCFN to help address funding challenges.