The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other allied agencies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Novartis to create a partnership designed to improve the diagnoses and accelerate treatment for people with sickle cell disease, as reported africanews on Friday.

The MoU makes Ghana the first African country to commit to offering the global standard of care for people with sickle cell disease.

According to the news source, the partnership aims to improve and extend the lives of people with sickle cell disease through a comprehensive approach to screening and diagnosis; treatment and disease management; training and education; and elevating basic and clinical research and scientific capabilities.

Specifically, the partners will collaborate on field testing and implementation of sickle cell disease treatment guidelines, the establishment of centres of excellence and the implementation of newborn screening at these centres.

Anthony Nsiah-Asare, director general of the Ghana Health Service, said the partnership has already began to yield results, with Novartis gaining Ghana Food and Drugs Authority marketing authorisation for the first hydroxyurea available to patients with sickle cell disease in Ghana.

"Discussions are underway for inclusion of the medicine and associated laboratory testing in the National Health Insurance Scheme, as well as prioritising this as a national programme, with direct distribution through the Ministry of Health" he added.

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