By: Sarah Baafi
An estimated 18,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease in Ghana every year, a situation the Founder and Executive Director of the FoSCel Foundation, Amos Andoh, says requires the inclusion of sickle cell education in the country’s school curriculum.
According to him, educating young people about the condition from an early age will help dispel myths and misconceptions, reduce stigma, and equip them with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their health and future families.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, during a discussion on ‘Sickle Cell Disease; Myths and Misconceptions,’ Mr. Andoh said ignorance remains a major challenge in efforts to address the condition.
“Ignorance is very poisonous, and sometimes when we educate our young generation, it helps them to grow up with well-informed decisions.”
He said formal education should also address genotype compatibility, which he described as a key area of focus in preventing the birth of children with sickle cell disease.
“Our focus is on genotype compatibility so that we won’t bring forth children living with sickle cell disease,” he said.
Mr. Andoh stressed that providing young people with accurate information before they make decisions about relationships and childbirth could help reduce the number of children born with the condition.
He therefore called for sickle cell education to be integrated into the curriculum to ensure that students receive accurate information and develop a better understanding of the disease, its inheritance, and the stigma surrounding it.
