Newborn screening for sickle cell disease (SCD) is sparse in sub-Saharan Africa. The leadership of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano, Nigeria, with the support of local religious authorities, established a groundbreaking SCD newborn screening program that has become the standard of care for pregnant women and their newborns. Our program includes (1) prenatal genetic counseling for all pregnant women in the antenatal clinic, (2) newborn screening, (3) postnatal genetic counseling for parents of newborns diagnosed with SCD and SCT, and (4) referral of newborns with SCD for follow-up in the SCD Comprehensive Care Clinic by 3 months of age. From September 2020 to December 2023, the team screened 7530 infants for SCD at the AKTH, identifying 126 (1.7%) infants with SCD and 1546 (20.5%) with SCT. Of these, 93 (73.8%) newborns with SCD received individualized genetic counseling, and 43 (46%) were referred to the SCD Comprehensive Care Clinic before 3 months. Group genetic counseling was provided to the parents of 778 (50.3%) of newborns identified with SCT. The SCD newborn screening at the AKTH is now standard care, indicating the viability of sustaining an SCD newborn screening program that provides pre- and postnatal genetic counseling and comprehensive SCD care within a low-income setting.

T, and factors associated with infant feeding practice in a rural community in Kano state. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design with a mixed method approach, data were collected from mothers and their infants in selected communities in Madobi, one of the rural local government area in Kano state. Quantitative data were collected with a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 440 mothers and their infants while qualitative data collection was done using a focus group discussion (FGD) guide with ten participants in each group. Anthropometric indices were used to determine the children's nutritional status. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software (version 21), while thematic analysis was used to summarize data from the FGDs. Results: Majority of the mothers (78.0%) had adequate knowledge of infant feeding practices. Few (8.9%) of the mothers breastfed exclusively and many (90.8%) of the mothers introduced complementary foods to their infants before six months of age. The prevalence of wasting and stunting among infants was 49.6% and 43.0%, respectively. After bivariate analysis, logistic regression was done, secondary/tertiary education and delivery in the hospital remained predictors of good infant feeding practices. Conclusion: Although, majority of the caregivers had adequate knowledge of infant feeding it was not translated to good practice and thus nutritional status was poor. Efforts should be made to improve girl child education and develop sustainable strategies to improve feeding practices and nutritional status of children....

In sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 75% of newborns with sickle cell disease (SCD) are born, under-five mortality remains high, partly due to the absence of newborn screening (NBS) and delayed linkage to comprehensive care. We conducted a prospective, quasi-experimental study involving two sequential newborn screening cohorts at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria (December 2022–December 2025), to evaluate the feasibility of integrating newborn screening (NBS) with early comprehensive SCD care and to identify barriers to enrollment before 3 months of age. Following an initial implementation period with suboptimal follow-up, a structured family-centered enrollment and communication strategy was introduced to improve early linkage to comprehensive care. During the pre-intervention period, 277 newborns were enrolled (33 with SCD and 244 without SCD [NSCD]), with early enrollment (≤3 months) occurring in 46.5% overall, higher among SCD than NSCD infants (72.8% vs. 43.0%). Delayed enrollment (>6 months) was more frequent among SCD infants. Following the implementation of family-centered communication strategies, 60 additional newborns were enrolled (16 SCD, 44 NSCD), and early enrollment increased to 91.7%. These findings demonstrate that low-cost, family-centered communication and tracking strategies can substantially improve early linkage to comprehensive SCD care following newborn screening in low-resource settings. Early enrollment is a critical step toward reducing morbidity and mortality among children with SCD in low-resource settings.