Sickle cell anaemia: a hidden disease in Nigeria

Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects how red blood cells develop. It is a disorder which can be passed from parents to children. People suffering from this disease are predominantly of African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean and Asian origin. In Nigeria, a law is proposed to force prospective couples to have a sickle cell test before getting married. The head of the Sickle Cell Foundation in Nigeria, Dr Annette Akinsete, has reacted to this proposal.

(Photo: A doctor evaluates a patient suffering from sickle-cell anaemia in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Credit: Junior D. Kannah/AFP/Getty Images)