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JAWS and Fantsuam Academy Originally uploaded by Dadamac Community One of the great benefits of our weekly typed meetings, compared to the more traditional spoken variety, is the ability to “dip in and out” of them. This was aptly demonstrated by John Dada on Wednesday - for despite the “distraction” of chairing the important BB4NG meeting in Abuja, he was able to read what we were discussing and even appoint a chairman for our team meeting! John had already emailed the UK group with his contribution to this week’s agenda, but it came as a welcome surprise that (albeit briefly)...

This week’s meeting proved to be as diverse as ever. Topics ranged from sickle cell, rice production to recycling waste plastic! However, first John Dada informed the team that later that day, Fantsuam was expecting a visit from the President of the Nigerian Association of Telecommunication Companies. John is himself chairman of the Forum BB4NG ( Broadband for Nigeria). On 28th July there is a meeting in Abuja of the various stakeholders in order to discuss the important issues surrounding the provision of broadband in Nigeria. For additional details please see QueenChichi’s article for AllVoices. Dadamac, Fantsuam and a UK...

The UK and Nigeria teams were able to exchange information via their usual typed skype meeting. John Dada , although unable to attend personally this week, emailed us with the following exciting update about Fantsuam Foundation ’s real contribution in combating Sickle Cell Disease. As part of the Cohort Pilot Study he gave us the following latest statistics: So far he has successfully managed to screen 2,215 children for Sickle Cell disease. In addition to those screened on the UN Sickle Cell Awareness Day in June and those screened in Gwantu, an additional 630 children have recently been screened in...

John sent his apologies for this week’s online meeting - but had a very good excuse! For as the UK and Nigeria teams staged their weekly virtual get-together, he was 120 kms away from Kafanchan screening local children for potentially deadly Sickle Cell Disease. However this didn’t stop John contributing to the meeting as he sent an email which gave his input for each of the topics on the agenda. His screening session followed on from the hugely successful UN Sickle cell awareness day held by Fantsuam Foundation last month, and ties in also with the Cohort Pilot Study. During...

Fantsuam was selected to participate in the first SC Cohort study in Nigeria. A sustainable Pilot Scheme This project aims to improve survival and quality of life for children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) by instituting early infant diagnosis and establishing standardised care that is sustainable through capacity building of service provision in a comprehensive manner from laboratory diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The project will be implemented in Nigeria, the country with the highest disease prevalence, with the help of UK-based doctors, largely Nigerian migrants. The issue is particularly relevant in the targeted country in that the majority of...