Abuja: The Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Sen. Sunday Katung, has revealed that the proposed Sickle Cell Disorder Research and Therapy Centres will require an investment of N4.7 billion to be established. Katung, who sponsored the bill, indicated that it has successfully passed the second reading in the Senate during an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the senator emphasized the financial implications of the bill, noting that the federal government would be responsible for setting up these institutions. “The total cost to set up the centres initially is N4.7 billion,” Katung stated. He also mentioned that during the debate, some senators suggested attaching these centres to teaching hospitals in each geo-political zone, which would be further evaluated during the public hearing to determine the most cost-effective approach.
Katung highlighted the significance of the bill as a critical move towards addressing Nigeria’s substantial burden of sickle cell disorder (SCD). The proposed legislation aims to create institutional and legal frameworks for the establishment, management, and operation of centres dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and research of the disease, which claims thousands of lives annually in Nigeria.
The senator shared that his motivation for sponsoring the bill was rooted in a personal experience from over two decades ago, where he witnessed a family’s struggle with sickle cell disorder. He recalled a poignant moment when a child, overhearing his parents’ financial concerns, pleaded, “please allow me to die so that you can rest and I too will rest.” This experience drove him to bring the issue to public attention through legislative action.
The bill proposes establishing research and therapy centres in the six geo-political zones initially, with plans to expand to every local government area in Nigeria. Katung highlighted the alarming statistic that out of more than 300,000 children who die before the age of five due to the disease, 150,000 are from Nigeria. This positions Nigeria as the second-largest carrier of the disease globally and the highest in Africa.
Katung noted the high cost of treatment and the lack of sufficient care, expressing hope that the bill would bring treatment closer to the people and raise awareness about avoiding marriages between potential carriers. He also mentioned the possibility of discovering a cure, given the disease’s prevalence among the black population.