UniAbuja Hosts Public Lecture on Sickle Cell Disease

The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) recently hosted a public lecture on "The Evolving Therapeutic Landscape in Sickle Cell Disease" at its main campus.

The event was organized by the Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training (CESRTA) in collaboration with the College of Health Sciences.

The lecture was delivered by Maureen Okam Achebe, Associate Professor of Medicine and Global Health Equity at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Director of Hematology at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The event brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss the latest developments in the field of sickle cell disease research and treatment. The lecture highlighted the importance of adopting preventive measures, such as partner selection and nationwide newborn screening, to mitigate the impact of the disease.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Patricia Lar, emphasized the need for political and financial will to curb the disease's impact, while the lecturer highlighted the potential of gene therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and hormone treatments in managing the disease.