This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Sickle Cell Patients in Cameroon Demand COVID-19 Protection ¶
On June 19, World Sickle Cell Day, patients in Cameroon visited hospitals and the Cameroon Red Cross office in Yaoundé to demand additional care and support.
They claimed that their genetic disorder, primarily seen in people of African descent, puts them at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms.
Forty-year-old Dieudonne Mackiti, a father of two children living with the disease, expressed his concerns, stating that he expects the government to provide face masks and hand sanitizers free of charge and to give preferential treatment to sickle cell patients when they visit hospitals.
Mackiti alleged that his family was ostracized by their neighbors after his son tested positive for COVID-19, and that the stigma from COVID-19 combined with age-old superstitious beliefs about sickle cell disease made life difficult for his family.
Cameroon's health ministry acknowledged that sickle cell patients already have respiratory difficulties, which may be complicated if they contract COVID-19.
The ministry recommended that people living with blood disorders like sickle cell disease stock up on essential medicines and supplies that can last for several weeks.
However, Laurantine Mandeng of the Cameroon Association of Young Sickle Cell Patients pointed out that most sickle cell patients in Cameroon are poor and cannot afford to buy COVID-19 protection kits.
Cameroon's health minister, Manaouda Malachie, assured that sickle cell patients would be given free face masks, buckets, soap, and hand sanitizers to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
Malachie emphasized the importance of observing barrier measures like social distancing, handwashing, and wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
