ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Patient Centered Health Systems
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1466299
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovations and Challenges in Sickle Cell Disease: Bridging Gaps in Global HealthView all 4 articles
Improving Access to Healthcare Services for Sickle Cell Disease Patients in Nigeria: Perspectives and Views of Healthcare Professionals
Provisionally accepted
- 1National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja, Nigeria
- 2University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria
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Introduction: In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of sickle cell disease remains high. With annual sickle cell births of about 150,000, Nigeria is reported to have the highest prevalence of the disease globally. This study aimed to explore the views and perspectives of healthcare professionals regarding access to healthcare services for sickle cell disease. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed for this study. Participants comprised healthcare practitioners across Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was utilised for data collection. A stratified multistage sampling strategy was used for the study, and respondents were recruited from all the six geographical zones in the Country. Data collected were entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were undertaken, results were presented in frequencies and percentages. Results: The response rate was 83.5% (1002/1200); male and female participants were of similar proportions, as indicated by 51.2% and 48.8%, respectively. A significant proportion of the participants (43.1%) disagreed that development partners have adequately contributed to the funding of sickle cell disease research in Nigeria. The majority of the respondents (81%) indicated that providing special funding for health research can facilitate access to healthcare services for sickle cell patients, whilst a similar proportion (79.2%) disagreed that the government alone bears the responsibility for healthcare initiatives for the disease. A third of the study participants (67.8%) were of the view that current research and development efforts towards sickle cell disease were inadequate. Conclusion: This study describes health professionals’ views on access to healthcare for sickle cell, and the findings revealed the criticality of private and development sector funding in reducing the burden of the disease. Furthermore, capacity building at the primary healthcare level would not only ensure access to the basic healthcare needs of sufferers but can also demystify the condition.
Keywords: Sickle Cell Disease, haematology, Genotype, Public Health, genetic, care
Received: 06 Aug 2024; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Onavbavba, Adigwe and Onoja. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Obi Peter Adigwe, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja, Nigeria
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