The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, has announced cash assistance and health insurance enrolment for persons living with sickle cell condition and albinism across the state.
Mrs Otti announced the interventions on Friday during the Care and Fair Outreach Day organised by her Safe Tent Care Initiative in Umuahia, where she disclosed that each beneficiary would receive N50,000 as immediate financial support.
The outreach, held under the theme, “Care, Inclusion and Dignity,” was aimed at addressing the healthcare and socioeconomic challenges confronting people living with sickle cell condition and albinism.
The First Lady recalled that she had met representatives of both communities in January, listened to their concerns and pledged to support them.
“Today is not our first encounter. Today reinforces something I want you to know — we are here for you and we intend to remain here for you,” she said.
Mrs Otti also acknowledged the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Albinism Foundation Africa, Jake Epelle, for turning his personal experience with albinism into years of advocacy for disability inclusion in healthcare, education, economic opportunities, governance and political participation.
She particularly commended Epelle’s efforts towards electoral inclusion, noting that his foundation monitored the recently concluded governorship election and continued to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in democratic processes.
“An election should never be merely about who wins office. Ultimately, democracy itself must win. Democracy is strengthened when citizens can participate freely, when their choices are respected, and when institutions act with integrity,” she said.
According to the First Lady, the philosophy of the Safe Tent Care Initiative is built around three principles — Community, Consistency and Collaboration — which she said would guide its interventions.
She explained that persons living with sickle cell condition require access to appropriate and regular healthcare, counselling, referrals and continuity of care, while persons living with albinism need skincare and sun protection, regular eye examinations, vision support, health education and timely medical attention.
Mrs Otti said the initiative would also work to confront the stigma and barriers that limit the social and economic opportunities available to persons living with both conditions.
She said the N50,000 cash support was intended as immediate assistance, while the more sustainable intervention would be facilitating beneficiaries’ enrolment in the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme.
“Because after the photographs have been taken, after the chairs have been removed and everybody has gone home, life continues and so must the support,” she said.
The First Lady explained that the initiative would not duplicate services already provided by government health institutions, but would collaborate with them to identify, refer and connect beneficiaries with appropriate services, including eye and vision care, continuing sickle cell management and specialist medical attention.
She added that the beneficiaries would also be integrated into skill acquisition, livelihood and economic empowerment programmes to improve their independence and quality of life.
“You are not defined by a medical condition. You have talents, dreams, businesses to build, careers to pursue, and families to support,” Mrs Otti said.
“We must move beyond asking only, ‘What can we give you today?’ We must also ask, ‘What opportunity can help you become stronger and more economically independent tomorrow?’ So our commitment is simple: health for today, a pathway for tomorrow.”
She expressed appreciation to the Abia State Ministry of Health, health partners, volunteers and members of her team for supporting the initiative, while commending persons living with sickle cell condition and albinism for their resilience.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Enoch Ogbonnaya-Uche, said the state government had brought sickle cell disease and albinism, which he described as long-neglected medical conditions, to the forefront of public healthcare.
He said the Safe Tent Care Initiative had drawn attention to the healthcare needs of communities that had often been overlooked by society.
“The Safe Tent Care Initiative has brought us to the cusp of history by bringing out two salient medical conditions that have been reserved to the back corner by society. But in her own way, Her Excellency is bringing their condition and their needs to the front board,” he said.
The Commissioner described the initiative as evidence of the administration’s commitment to inclusive governance and ensuring that people who may have been overlooked receive attention and support.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Maureen Aghukwa, also commended Mrs Otti for extending care and support to the two communities and urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity to access improved healthcare.
The outreach featured health education sessions for persons living with sickle cell condition and albinism, with presentations by consultant paediatrician at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Dr Mildred Izuka, and the Head of the Abia State Eye Management Bureau, Betty Emeka-Obasi.
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