WORLD SICKLE CELL AWARENESS DAY 2022.

Since 2008, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day has been held annually on 19th June, to help increase public knowledge and raise awareness of the disease and the struggles sufferers and their families go through. The date was chosen to commemorate the day on which a resolution was officially adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, recognizing the disease as a public health concern. This day is set aside to create awareness about the sickle cell disease. Educate people to know their genotypes before getting into a relationship and eventually getting married. World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of sickle cell disorder and support those living with sickle cell. It is an opportunity to raise funds to support the sickle cell community. It is a chance to celebrate the amazing achievements of those living with sickle cell. The theme for this year's World Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2022 is: "Shine the Light on Sickle Cell". We must continue to raise global education and awareness to support people with sickle cell disease and sickle cell community. Join me in spreading the word to help save lives.

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is celebrated to spread the awareness about the sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is an inherited red blood cell condition that affects hemoglobin (the protein that carties oxygen through the body). This disease is usually inherited genetically and it causes some clogging in the blood vessels that makes the blood flow much slower and results in slow and less transfer of oxygen to the different parts of the body. Let us all raise awareness about sickle cell disease. Also, the day is design to increase the public knowledge and understanding about the sickle cell disease, patients, their families, caregivers and their crisis and challenges they face in their family and society as a whole. Let's discuss sickle cell disease to save another from this condition. Sickle cell is an inherited disorder in the red blood cell which cause the red blood cell to take a sickle shape, thereby reducing the life span of the red blood cells (the patient becomes anaemic) and also inhibit the flow of the red blood cells). The reason the patient feels pain often. Sickle cell disease is one of the main causes of death in children under the age of five in Africa. It is expedient that this topic be taken setiously and is taught in our various institutions such as churches, mosques and in schools to avert this crisis for intending couples in future.

On World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, we all should renew our resolve to ensure the best possible health treatment for people living with sickle cell, through the promotion of a better understanding of the condition, equality of treatment through National Health insurance Scheme (NHIS), and more research into possible new treatments. On this day, l pay tribute to all the patient support groups, clinicians and campaign groups around the world who campaign for better treatment for people with sickle cell.

#worldsicklecellawarenessday #sicklecell #whonigeria #whoafrica #who #unnigeria #unitednations.

 BRIEF PERSONAL PROFILE OF ENOBONG EKWERE - SOCIAL ACTIVIST/ DEVELOPMENT EXPERT IN NIGERIA.

Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, vlogger, environmental/ human rights activist, peace practitioner, grassroot social mobilizer, SDGs advocate and a global citizen. Enobong Ekwere also have vast knowledge and professional expertise in copy writing, content creation, online and offline media campaigning. He is the program manager of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP), an organic, volunteer of experts, youth focused and a think-tank non-governmental organization based in Kaduna state, Nigeria. A Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate of Public Administration (Upper Credit) from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. Enobong Ekwere holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). He works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs)  (SDG16+ SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) and positive peace frameworks in Nigeria, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policy makers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of peace, good governance and democracy, accountability in government, freedom of information, freedom of expression, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs (SDG16+ SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) so that no community and youth in Kaduna state and Nigeria at large would be left behind. CYPLP as an organization works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth, elderly persons, people living with disabilities (PLWD's) and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented and marginalized local communities in Nigeria.

My areas of competence in peace education and peace building process includes;

1. Conflict mapping, sensitivity and analysis

2. Negotiation, mediation and reconciliation

3. Interreligious and intercultural dialogue

4. Protection of civilians

5. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)

6. Security sector reforms (SSR)

7. Mainstreaming gender in peace keeping

8. Mainstreaming gender in peace and state building

9. Crisis management/resolution

10. Media and conflict

11. Conflict and natural resources

12. Conflict prevention

13. Peace support operations (PSOs)

14. Post- conflict reconstruction and development

15. Humanitarian action

16. Transnational organized crime

17. Piracy and maritime security

18. Preventing violent extremism (PVE) etc.

Enobong Ekwere has an extensive professional working experience in projects such as;

1. PRELT (Prevention of radicalization and extremism leading to terrorism)

2. BRAVE (Building resilience against violent extremism)

3. iDOVE (Interfaith dialogue on violent extremism) in local communities across Kaduna state and Nigeria at large.

I have initiated two projects to counter religious and violent extremism among the youths in local communities in Nigeria, and one empowerment program, these are;

1. CAARE ( Countering Attitudes Against Religious Extremism)

2. CAAVE (Countering Attitudes Against Violent Extremism)

3. NEET (Not in Education, Empowerment or Training) an empowerment training program aimed at training vulnerable population of young people in local communities in Nigeria with leadership skills, entrepreneurial and vocational skills acquisition.

He can be reached via:

Tel/WhatsApp: +2347082558952

Email: julyenobong2020@gmail.com

            : enobongekwere825@gmail.com

MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/enobong.ekwere.372

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/Enobongekwere2

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/enobongekwere825

LINKEDIN: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/enobong-ekwere-3271b116b

MY ORGANIZATION'S SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/cyplp.net.ng/

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/youngpeoplefor/

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/cyplp/

WEBSITE: 

www.cyplp.net.ng

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER - INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (IHRC) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.