On World Sickle Cell Day (19th June 2021) the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, announced through his Facebook and Instagram pages that hydroxyurea, a disease-modifying therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD) will now be provided under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to improve the health of people living with SCD in Ghana.
This announcement followed a meeting he convened on 8th June 2021, with stakeholders including Professor Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, President of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana (Foundation), Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Minister for Health, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, Chief Executive, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, Director General, Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, Special Advisor to the President on Health, and Mr. Roland Hammond-Addo of Novartis.