Examining the Limited Global Focus on Sickle Cell Disease and Its Implications for Nigeria's Legal Framework: A Social Constructionism Perspective

With the highest number of sickle cell cases in the world, Nigeria is the global ‘sickle cell capital.’ Yet, there is a serious absence of a national legislative framework focused on the rights, management and healthcare of persons living with sickle cell disorder (SCD). Extant legislations have unconstitutionally discriminatory and punitive provisions focused on genotype compatibility. This chequered legislative framework follows from the absence of a cohesive global approach to tackling SCD. The global focus remains on diseases considered communicable or critical to the global north. Consequently, SCD is given inadequate focus notwithstanding the continuing socio-economic burden it imposes on many global south countries, particularly Nigeria. Using Shiffman's social constructionism perspective on the prioritisation of global health issues, this chapter criticises the overwhelming global focus on HIV/AIDs in comparison to SCD and highlights the implications on Nigeria's SCD legal framework. This chapter concludes with a call for stronger policy interventions to address SCD given its associated socio-economic burden.