SOCIAL MEDIA VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

RACIZ EDITORIAL TEAM
Chief editor: Mr Reuben Phiri -  Partnership and Administrative Coordinator
August was a blessed month as Rotary Club heeded the call and responded with a donation of 2000 capsules (20 boxes) towards the RACIZ Hydroxyurea project which is in conjunction with the Childrens’ Hospital at the UTH. Hydroxyurea, a rare expensive miracle drug is used to treat patients that bravely endure and live with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Most of these brave SCD warriors come from low income households and as such their parents cannot afford to pay for this lifelong medication because of the cost. Thus the gesture by the Rotary Club of Lusaka came at the right time when RACIZ needed this partnership the most.  
RACIZ Executive Chairman Dr. Indrex Chisawa speaking on behalf of the patients expressed his gratitude to the Rotary Club for the timely intervention and support to the Hydroxyurea project. “We are thrilled to have your support . Through your donation we are able to give medication to our warriors and we will continue working towards helping these children month by month through the Hydroxyurea project,” Dr Chisawa said, adding: “ You truly made a difference for us and our patients , and we are extremely grateful for your generosity. We look forward to working with you in future in order to help more children living with SCD in Zambia.”
UTH Senior Medical Superintendent (SMS) Dr. Mwenechanya who graced the occasion with other UTH staff, thanked the Rotary Club of Lusaka for their kind gesture and noted that the hospital rarely had the drug to prescribe to SCD patients.  “ The hospital pharmacy last stocked the drug 2 years ago,” indicated the pharmacist who was in attendance.  National SCD Taskforce lead Dr. Catherine Chunda noted that SCD had not only affected Zambia and the sub-Saharan Africa, but it has also become a global public health concern especially with regards to treatment and management.
Presenting the donation, Rotary Club of Lusaka Director of Programs Mr. Abraham Geevarghese said he and his team were delighted to help and pledged to continue with this gesture in future.
In a vote of thanks on behalf of the beneficiary parents, Mr. Mwanza, a father to two children living with SCD was all praises for the partnership of the Rotary Club, UTH and RACIZ. “You can see that I have two children both with the disease. It is very expensive for me to provide the medication and other requirements for the wellbeing of my children. The Hydroxyurea project has really helped my children.” " l  almost lost my son but now he is still alive" .Mr. Mwanza said.
Sickle Cell Disease is a public health concern that has not received the attention it deserves and therefore requires concerted effort from both the public and private stakeholders to deal with the increasing number of cases in Zambia.  RACIZ advocates that the fight against SCD should be made a public health priority by coming together to help families affected by this genetic disease that is passed on from parents who carriers (sickle cell trait) to children.  
Most children with the disease come from low income peri-urban townships and from the rural parts of Zambia and can barely afford the expensive hydroxyurea medication and thus the importance of a robust multi-sectoral approach in mobilizing of resources to supplement their treatment requirements. Further, there is a requirement to heighten sensitization about SCD to every part of the nation on the same scale as that of HIV/AIDS.
As RACIZ we would like to encourage Zambians to visit the hospital to know their SCD status especially those intending to marry. It is important because if both parents have the sickle cell traits present, there is a 25% (1 in 4) chance with each pregnancy that the baby will be born with SCD. This will help couples make informed decisions should they wish to proceed to get married knowing they may have to cope with a child with SCD, or that they would rather separate for this reason. The choice remains with the individuals or couples.
In order to deal with the present SCD burden, RACIZ calls for a multi-sectoral approach and appeals to more stakeholders to emulate the Rotary Club  of Lusaka and come on board to fight the disease in Zambia through treatment and management of these children.
You can partner with us by visiting our website at www.raciz.org or email us at info@raciz.org.