Sickle Cell: Edith Okowa Reacts To Report Of N3.5bn Grant From US, Says No Financial Commitment Has Been Made

Wife of Delta State Governor, Dame Edith Okowa, on Wednesday says she has not received any financial commitment from an international donor organisation in the United State to aid her fight against sickle cell anemia.

The First Lady stated this while reacting to report that Initiative for Global Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation in the US donated $10million (N3.5billion) to O5 Initiative for the management and treatment of sickle cell anemia.

05 Initiative is the pet project of the wife of the governor.

Briefing newsmen in Asaba on Wednesday following report that her organisation had received a grant from the US, Mrs Okowa disclosed that at the UN event, O5 Initiative’s “modest efforts’’ in tackling the sickle cell in the state caught the interest of some organizations and individuals who expressed intention to do same in their countries.

“A major outcome of our UN presentation is the expressed desire of Initiative for Global Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation, to partner O5 Initiative.

“Their interest is centred on digitising our sickle cell clinics across the state. This will generate critical data in the management of sickle cell patients, Mrs. Okowa said.

Continuing, she said, “I want to state categorically that no memorandum of understanding has been signed and no financial commitment has been made’’.

Speaking on the efforts of the efforts of the organisation, she said that the Initiative had established 12 sickle cell clinics in public hospitals across the state and equipped them with modern facilities and genetic counsellors and medical doctors.

She listed some achievements of the Initiative as provision of welfare packages to prison inmates, empowerment of no fewer than 2,500 Delta women, medical outreach to over 26,000 Deltans, settlement of hospital bills for indigent citizens, provision of shelter for the homeless and feeding the poor.

Mrs Okowa, who was flanked by Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu and Director-General, O5 Initiative, Mrs Kevwe Agas, commended various public and private individuals and organisations for their support to her project.

She called for more collaboration between her group, agencies and organisations to improve the lots of the less-privileged in the society.