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In a compelling demonstration of healthcare outreach beyond clinical spaces, nurses at the Family Medicine Directorate of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), in partnership with the XYSCO Sickle Cell Foundation, stepped beyond the hospital walls to lead a powerful sickle cell awareness campaign at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Senior High School (KNUST SHS) in Kumasi.
The program, held as part of activities to mark World Sickle Cell Day, was driven by a shared vision: to empower young people with life-saving knowledge on genotype testing and the prevention of sickle cell disease. With the school assembly hall filled to capacity, students, teachers, and community members gathered to participate in a seminar that combined medical education with human stories and student-centered advocacy.
Nurses from the KATH Family Medicine Directorate delivered detailed yet accessible presentations on the science of sickle cell disease—explaining how it is inherited, its complications, and the lifelong impact it can have on individuals and families. They urged students to view genotype testing not as an optional procedure, but as a necessary step toward responsible adulthood.
“We spend every day in the hospital helping sickle cell patients manage pain, infections, and crises. But today, we leave the hospital to prevent what we treat,” said Miss Catherine Akyamaah Korankye Eastwood, one of the senior nurses from the Directorate. “That’s the essence of public health—reaching people before the disease does.”
The XYSCO Foundation, which has earned a reputation for youth-driven health activism, energized the event with interactive sessions, drama performances, and testimonials from individuals living with the condition. These elements brought a human face to the disease, transforming abstract science into emotional stories that resonated deeply with the students.
Francis Sarkodie Nyame, the Executive Director of Xysco Sickle Cell Foundation, praised the collaborative spirit of the initiative. “When medical professionals and community advocates work hand-in-hand, real change happens. These students are now informed, and that’s a ripple effect we cannot measure.”
Students at KNUST SHS responded enthusiastically, engaging in discussions, asking pertinent questions, and signing up in large numbers for the free genotype testing offered at the close of the program. Many admitted it was their first time learning about the consequences of certain genotype pairings, particularly the dangers of AS-AS or AS-SS combinations in future marriages.
The school’s guidance counselor, Mrs. Josephine Adjei, welcomed the intervention as a vital addition to the school’s moral and life education curriculum. “This is the kind of information that prepares our students not just for exams, but for life. We are grateful to the nurses from KATH and XYSCO for thinking beyond the clinic.”
The outreach at KNUST SHS reflects a growing trend in Ghanaian healthcare: moving beyond the hospital environment to engage directly with the public, especially the youth, on issues that can shape generations. For nurses at KATH Family Medicine Directorate, this is only the beginning of a broader campaign to fight preventable diseases at their roots—through education, dialogue, and presence in communities.
