The wife of the Governor of Abia State and the founder of Vicar Hope Foundation, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, has been recognized by the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors, on their 22nd annual conference and AGM Abia 2020.
Presenting the award, the president of the association, Mrs. Chioma Austin Onuorah, disclosed that the award is in recognition of Mrs Ikpeazu's commitment to humanity in care of persons affected by sickle cell disease, using her vicar Hope Foundation. According to her, the inspirational endeavors of Abia first lady's foundation will establish a sustainable foundation in providing and promoting the values in persons affected by sickle cell disorder.
Responding, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu who was respresented by Mrs. Edith Nwosu, vice president of vicar Hope Foundation thanked the association for making her a part of attendees to the Annual General Meeting of the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors of Nigeria and which Abia, hosted.
"I will make bold to say that Sickle Cell disease is a health priority in Abia State and my foundation is a major driver of the policy" she stated.
She went further to inform the association that in November last year, the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, directed the setting up of seventeen sickle cell care mini-centres in all the Local Government areas of the state. According to her, the objective is to bring care, testing and counseling services closer to be the people are the grassroots.
She however, stressed that her NGO, Vicar Hope Foundation, and Abia State Government are working hand in glove to achieve the lowest statistics of SCD in the state. "We are technical partners on a few projects"
"One of the planks of my Foundation’s work in SCD is awareness and sensitization" Over the past four years, we have held countless sensitization and awareness programmes that include street-walks, rallies, community engagements, house-to-house, person-to-person, roadshows, radio shows, online media campaigns, and television shows, and even using movies as a medium.
She ended by saying that the numerous works that my Foundation has done on SCD has created increasing demand for testing services in Abia State.
This places a burden on medical laboratories operating within Abia and beyond, making this conference very timely. "It is my expectations that the deliberations, and conversations instigated by this conference will translate to better services for sickle cell patients, and roadway towards possible eradication of the disease.
Eradication of the disease can only be achieved through mass testing, as well counseling.
The event which was held at the Aba Sports club 1926, Aba, On September 30th 2020, had participants from all walks of life in attendance.
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