Multichoice is the go-to partner for sickle cell awareness – Akinsete

Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) has commended Multichoice for boosting its operations and helping the foundation to enhance knowledge and understanding of the control and management of sickle cell disorder in Nigeria.

Dr. Annette Akinsete, National Director and Chief Executive Officer, SCFN, said that Multichoice Nigeria’s support over the years has boosted the operations of the organisation as well as greater involvement of Nigerians in the management of sickle cell.

While speaking at the celebration of the World Sickle Cell Day, themed, ‘Giving for Living’, in Ijede Community of Ikorodu, Lagos State, recently, Dr. Akinsete said that the various levels of partnerships the Foundation has achieved with Multichoice Nigeria were noteworthy.

“MultiChoice Nigeria has been our solid partner for over a decade. Multichoice Nigeria has made our operations easy by partnering with us at all levels,” she said, adding: “They recently donated a brand new vehicle to the Foundation to ease logistics. Now, it’s quite easy to penetrate every nook and cranny of Lagos, demystifying the myths associated with this ailment. That is a big one for us because without a vehicle, there is a limit to how much impact we can make.”

Dr. Akinsete said that more work and investment are still required in order to demystify sickle cell anaemia. “We have made efforts to positively influence public perception through awareness. But the challenge has always been funding. This is an area Multichoice Nigeria has adopted. The company recently funded a TV awareness documentary on sickle cell anaemia and this had a wider impact as more and more people are aware of this issue.  The free drugs we give to our beneficiaries have been funded by Multichoice Nigeria. We are particularly grateful for their support and cooperation. They are our go-to partner and it is something we want to sustain,” further said Akinsete.

Mrs. Waris Tosin, a beneficiary of the SCFN who spoke on behalf of the other beneficiaries of the free testing and drugs, commended Multichoice Nigeria for partnering with the Foundation in enhancing knowledge about sickle cell anaemia in Nigeria.

“I was very excited when I heard that Ijede Community will be hosting this year’s workshop on sickle cell anaemia. I have learnt more about this syndrome. Again, it gladdens my heart seeing a lot of young children who will all benefit from the free testing and drugs provided by the Foundation through support from Multichoice. We hope this partnership is sustained in a way that more people can be guided as they make their choices with respect to marital decisions.”

Caroline Oghuma, Public Relations Manager, who represented John Ugbe, Managing Director, Multichoice Nigeria, said that the company is committed to improving the wellbeing of Nigerians by investing in worthy causes and also deploying its platform for social good. “We strive to create values in a way that will positively impact the lives of our people. We have been working with the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria for about 16 years, ensuring that more Nigerians become informed about this health disorder. More importantly, we recently donated a brand new vehicle to aid the operations of the Foundation. This we believe has eased some of the logistic challenges impeding the Foundation’s operations,” said Oghuma.