Tema-Ghana, Sept. 18, GNA – The Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Anointed One Congregation, Sakumono Village, has organised a free medical screening for the church members and the people in the community.
The church, in collaboration with health personnel from the Sickle Cell Condition Advocates (SICCA), Sakumono Health Centre, and the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) Tema, focused the screening on sickle cell awareness, blood donation exercise, and general health care.
The founder of the Sickle Cell Condition Advocates (SICCA), Mrs. Charlotte Owusu, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that sickle cell conditions were important genotype conditions that needed more advocacy and education.
She said SICCA, therefore, sought to support, educate, and counsel people with sickle cell conditions and their families, and also create awareness of the condition for all to see the need for prevention through a pre-conception screening.
She revealed that the advocacy and education around sickle cell disease had been low because some people do not know its importance or the consequences it may have for their future.
She noted that it had affected over two percent of the population because of their lack of education and unawareness about the condition.
She said: “Sickle cell is easy to prevent; a person ready to settle must know their status and advise themselves when choosing a spouse to avoid any future consequences.”
Mrs. Owusu also added that the church was the first call in terms of marriage counselling; therefore, it was also their mandate to educate their young ones and prospective couples on the need to check their genotype and know their status before getting engaged.
She called on the church to enforce and ensure that all their members, especially the youth and couples, checked their genotype status before getting into a relationship.
Mr. Ofori Ntow, the catechist in charge of the congregation, added that the Presbyterian Church had therefore organised a special counselling session for prospective couples, where the couple had a medical screening as part of their counselling process.
“After their screening, we advised and counselled them based on the results to see if it would be suitable for them to be joined together,” he noted.
He urged Ghanaians to take their health seriously and know their genotypes before settling in a relationship, and he also urged them to adhere to all advice provided by their doctors and not commit suicide when they find out about their genotypes.
