Health Insurance: Important Information For Mothers Of Children With Sickle Cell Disease

THE best way to characterize Mrs. Idayat Akinwale is as a pillar of strength and a haven for Ruka, a 30-year-old single mother with sickle cell illness.

“We found that she had sickle cell disease at age one. Ruka was always sick, which affected her schooling. She failed her West African School Certificate examination. She resorted to hawing minerals rather than retaking the examination,” Mrs Akinwale retorted.

Ruka, who is currently 35 years old, was beaten by her two husbands and is now living with her 60-year-old mother, who has taken care of her since she was a toddler and her father passed away.

The experience that Mrs. Moromoke Adenuga has with sickle cell illness is a little bit different. When Biodun, her 32-year-old son, was three years old, sickle cell disease was identified in him. Her first kid, who also had sickle cell disease, passed away at the age of eighteen, following extensive medical expenses.

Biodun has never been well during exam season and left school after completing senior secondary class two upon admission to the hospital. Mrs. Adenuga fell into poverty over the years due to her out-of-pocket expenses for his health and the death of his brother.

The Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation honored these women as “Mothers of Warriors in Action (Mowa)” as part of their events for World Sickle Cell Awareness Month.

About six million Nigerians have sickle cell disease, according to Professor Adeyinka Falusi, the founder of the Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF). An additional 45 million are carriers of the disease's traits, which include severe pain, leg ulcers, anemia, organ damage, loss of working hours, and other difficulties.

“150,000 children are born annually in Nigeria with sickle cell disease, while many die because they are at increased risk of infections, strokes, painful erections, bone pains, and jaundice,” she stated.

Access to high-quality healthcare and information, however, would have changed the sad state of affairs in Nigeria, where many sickle cell disease patients pass away before turning five due to complications from the disease.

Sickle cell disease necessitates frequent medical check-ups, hospital stays on occasion, and acute care on occasion, just as other chronic illnesses. Many sickle cell disease (SCD) patients do not, however, receive the necessary care. A large number do not have health insurance.

Numerous research have verified the low level of knowledge regarding health insurance's advantages for treating sickle cell disease in youngsters.

The majority of children with sickle cell disease's medical expenses are paid for out of pocket, according to study from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital published in the Pan African Medical Journal. Enrollment and use of health insurance are low, despite a high level of awareness.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day media dialogue with the theme, “Changing the narrative on child mortality through health insurance,” in Ibadan, Dr. Olusola Akande, Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency, described health insurance as a win-win for children, especially those with diseases like sickle cell disease.

“Even the basic package takes care of at least four to five things: payment for a hospital card, consultation with the doctor or an expert, basic tests, some medicines, and even the cost of bed admission when such a child needs to be admitted. Anyhow, out-of pocket spending each time they go to the hospital is reduced.”

Dr. Akande stated that in order to support children's treatment and lower out-of-pocket medical expenses, the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency also enrolls children with pre-existing diseases like as HIV, sickle cell disease, and disabilities.

He asserts that everyone receives the same health advantages from each package, regardless of conditions like sickle cell disease.

“What we are aiming at is to get as many people as possible on health insurance, leaving no one behind, including the poor, the rich, and the rural and urban dwellers,” he said.

The best course of action in Nigeria, according to Dr. Tomiwa Akintunde, principal medical officer at the University of Ilorin Health Services clinic and member of the Bethesda Sickle Cell Foundation (BSCF), is to guarantee that every child, especially those with chronic illnesses, has health insurance.

“Of course, people always think their child will not fall ill, and so the money is wasted. But what they will be safe from in case the child is sick will be more than they think, especially with chronic illnesses, that the child needs frequent medical care,” he declared.

The cost of care is high for families with children who have sickle cell disease; regardless of socioeconomic level, the cost of care increases dramatically with longer hospital stays and varies according to the severity of the condition.

Furthermore, a 2023 study was cited by Dr. Olayinka Kotila, a senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan, which stated that a person with sickle cell disease spends at least N76,000 a month on care, not including the cost of hospitalization, missed work days for caregivers, and absenteeism from school.

The National Blood Service Commission's South-West Zonal Center's acting zonal director, Dr. Oladapo Aworanti, a consultant haematologist, stated that it is crucial for children with chronic illnesses like sickle cell disease to have health insurance coverage in order to prevent treatment default and enhance their quality of life.

“They will be able to present early in the hospital with the complications of the disease. Whatever the doctor says, they will do, thus reducing complications from the disease. Ensuring they all have health insurance is good for us, the doctors.”