Physician Leading Sickle Cell Intervention in Nigeria Seeks PhD at UT Health Science Center

Aisha Galadanci Akilu, MD, a hematologist focused on sickle cell disease, is principal investigator on a program that initiated sickle cell screening for newborns in Kano, Nigeria. She recently presented about the program's impact at the Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Nursing Excellence.

Aisha Galadanci Akilu, MD, is making a major investment in changing the trajectory of sickle cell disease in her home country of Nigeria. That investment equals about three years of her life, which she will spend in Memphis seeking a PhD in health outcomes and policy research with Assistant Dean Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN, a professor in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing.

Dr. Galadanci Akilu is a hematologist whose focus is sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic illness that about 300,000 children are born with annually worldwide - 50% of them in Nigeria alone. SCD is the sixth-leading cause of death in Nigerian children, and Kano City, where Dr. Galadanci Akilu works, has the highest pediatric population with SCD in Nigeria.

But thanks to funding and collaboration from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Dr. Galadanci Akilu helped implement newborn screening of children in Kano, Nigeria, in 2020, and has seen a significant impact. The partnership "has been instrumental in establishing a robust newborn screening program for SCD in Kano," she said. "Screening more than 9,000 newborns is a remarkable achievement, significantly increasing early detection rates."

Dr. Galadanci Akilu presented about the impact of the screening program at the Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Nursing Excellence, which was held Sept. 9-13 at UT Health Science Center. The boot camp is a collaboration of the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing, the Department of Hematology at St. Jude, and the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates (IASCNAPA). September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month.

Dr. Galadanci Akilu's decision to pursue a PhD in health policy at UT Health Science Center is a strategic decision, she said.

"I have realized that in a resource-limited setting like Nigeria, public health-related constraints often serve as stumbling blocks to effectively delivering health care services to our most vulnerable populations," she said. "Participation in the Health Outcome and Policy Research PhD program is an excellent opportunity to learn and develop research and management skills while building proficiency in epidemiology, leadership skills, policy analysis, cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis."

A mother of five children ranging in age from 3 to 21, Dr. Galadanci Akilu does not have sickle cell disease in her family, but she does see its out-sized impact in her country. So, she and her three youngest children will make their home in Germantown while she pursues a degree that can help her make an even greater impact on sickle cell disease in Nigeria. Her older children are either working or in college in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Galadanci Akilu also helped spearhead pre-marital genetic counseling for engaged couples in her city, convening an educational workshop for local religious leaders to get them on board with the policy first. "They are important stakeholders. We have to involve them," she said.

Dr. Day said, "I am honored to serve as a mentor for Dr. Galadanci Akilu as she pursues her PhD in UT Health Science Center's Health Outcomes and Policy Research Program and know we will both benefit from each other's knowledge and experience."

Dr. Day's work involving children with sickle cell disease has been an integral part of her career. In the year that newborn screening for sickle cell disease was implemented nationally, she developed one of the first multi-phased education programs to support parents of infants with the disease. Program outcomes included an excellent retention rate, and a significant decrease in the rate of pneumococcal sepsis, the leading cause of death among young children with sickle cell disease. Once published, the program was replicated nationally and globally. She currently is principal investigator of a $364,502 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that supports a specialized sickle cell education outreach to health care professionals in the Mid-South Delta region.

Yvonne Carroll, JD, RN, is director of patient services in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude. She said, "Dr. Galadanci Akilu is not only a dedicated hematologist, she is also a public health advocate and was instrumental in the passage of a law for pre-marital genetic counseling for sickle cell disease in Kano in 2023."

Carroll is a co-investigator on the USDA grant with Dr. Day and has been involved in sickle cell research for more than 25 years. She worked with Dr. Galadanci Akilu for the past eight years.

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