LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY | EDUCATION | LEGAL ACTIONS | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
PREVALENCE IN NIGERIA
Approximately 25% of Nigerians carry the sickle cell trait (HbAS), with 2–3% of Nigeria’s population (about 4–6 million people) living with SCD.
SCD accounts for 50–80% of childhood mortality rates in some parts of Nigeria before the age of 5.
Life expectancy for individuals with SCD in Nigeria is less than 20 years, compared to over 40 years in developed countries.
The Sickle Free - Birth - Advocacy Initiative is committed to ending the birth of children with sickle cell disease in Nigeria.
We advocate for preventive measures through education, legislation, and community engagement.
INITIATIVE SUMMARY
ORGANIZATIONAL VISION
We aim to achieve a Nigeria where no child is born with sickle cell disease, and every individual is empowered with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed reproductive choices.
GOALS | MISSION STATEMENT
Through all effective and acceptable means of communication, Sickle Free Birth Advocacy Initiative, Champions for the adoption and enforcement of laws, such as the Anambra State law, that prohibit marriages likely to result in children with SCD, and promote the protection of both born and unborn children at risk.
We seek funding, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships to advance our mission and support the implementation of relevant national and international laws that uphold the rights of individuals affected by or at risk of sickle cell disease.
OUR IMPACT
As a growing organization, Sickle Free - Birth- Advocacy Initiative operates across Nigeria with a focus on communities most affected by sickle cell disease, aiming to introduce and expand preventive strategies nationwide.
OUR VALUES
We are committed to safeguarding generations from the burden of sickle cell disease.
Beginning with education that equips individuals and families to make informed reproductive decisions based on genotype awareness. In our public campaigns, we strive to dismantle myths, foster understanding, and normalize genotype compatibility testing as an essential part of responsible family planning.
We aim to make purposeful collaborations. Establishing links with healthcare professionals, community leaders, faith-based institutions, and other strategic partners who share in our vision of a Nigeria free from new sickle cell births.
Our efforts in community engagement are deliberate and inclusive, ensuring that every voice counts in shaping a healthier Nigeria.
We are deeply invested in legislative progress, working with policymakers to support frameworks that prioritize prevention, inspired by the Anambra State Sickle Cell Disease Control and Eradication Law of 2019. Our stance on policy is both protective and preventive, and we uphold the right of every person living with sickle cell and every child to be born free.
Join us in creating a Better future for individuals living with sickle cell disease, and protecting the unborn from the pain of sickle cell disease.
Together, We can break the stigma, offer hope, and improve lives—one step at a time.
GET INVOLVED IN OUR MISSION