Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has underscored the need for sustained national attention to sickle cell disease, describing it as a major public health concern that places significant strain on families and the healthcare system.
In a statement, the Vice President revealed that she recently met with officials of the Sickle Cell Foundation Ghana to engage on the realities faced by persons living with the condition and the institutions that support them.
“During the week, I held a meeting with Sickle Cell Foundation Ghana to discuss the burden of sickle cell care on affected families and the health system in terms of cost, access to care, and sustainable support mechanisms,” she stated in a post sighted by MyNewsGh.
Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang stressed that addressing such challenges is closely linked to sound economic governance, arguing that prudent management of the economy is essential if government is to create room for expanded health and social interventions.
“I spoke on the importance of prudent economic management so that Government can create the fiscal space needed to expand social protection and health interventions,” she said, adding that the government’s development approach is “grounded in impact, building the nation from the bottom up and deliberately being inclusive.”
She further highlighted decentralisation as a key pillar in improving healthcare delivery, noting that where a person lives should not determine the quality or availability of care they receive.
“With our high birth rate, sickle cell disease is not a marginal issue but a national concern,” the Vice President stated, emphasizing that the condition requires coordinated national action rather than isolated interventions.
“The government is committed to engaging stakeholders, strengthening preventive care where possible, and ensuring that families affected are supported with compassion and long-term solutions,” she concluded.
