A hematologist at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr. Eunice Agyeman Ahmed, has urged Ghanaians to consider their partner’s genotype before entering into a romantic relationship.
During an intra-school debate competition on sickle cell awareness, she emphasized the importance of knowing one’s sickle cell status to prevent the increasing rate of the disease.
In commemoration of World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, Dr. Ahmed explained that sickle cell disease is an inherited condition resulting from abnormal genes passed on by parents.
“If you know your sickle cell genotype, you can make informed choices in selecting a partner and deciding to have children,” she stated.
Dr. Ahmed added that understanding one’s sickle cell status at a young age can help avoid unnecessary costs and complications in relationships.
She highlighted that about 2% of newborn babies are born with sickle cell disease and stressed that informed decision-making is key to prevention.
The hospital alone has over 6,000 registered sickle cell patients, and Dr. Ahmed emphasized the need for awareness and compatibility consideration when choosing a partner.
The debate by students of T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS, Kumasi, centered around the motion: “Is love alone enough, or should sickle cell genotype compatibility matter when choosing a partner?”