The Nigeria Society for Haematology and Blood Transfusion, in collaboration with the National Blood Service Agency and the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia & Haemoglobinopathies Foundation, hosted the Nigeria Inherited Blood Disorders Leadership Forum.
The two-day forum, which held from February 11-12, 2026, at the Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja, brought together over 70 participants, including government officials, haematologists, patient advocates, development partners, religious leaders, and academic institutions, to drive multi-sectoral collaboration and strengthen government commitment toward equitable, long-term care for people living with inherited blood disorders.
Nigeria bears one of the world’s highest burdens of inherited blood disorders, including haemophilia and sickle cell disease, conditions that continue to contribute significantly to morbidity, mortality, and socio-economic hardship.
Despite ongoing donor-supported initiatives and institutional efforts, access to diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive care remains limited, inequitable, and largely unsustainable nationwide.
The Forum aimed to raise national awareness with compelling evidence on prevalence, burden, and socioeconomic impact of inherited blood disorders, and advocate for dedicated government budget lines, particularly for diagnosis, procurement of clotting factors, and screening programmes.
Other objectives include strengthening health infrastructure, including Haemophilia Treatment Centres and Comprehensive Sickle Cell Care Units, establishing a government-led coordination mechanism such as a Technical Working Group, and promoting sustainable partnerships among government, healthcare institutions, patient groups, and development partners.
Part of the outcomes include improved national recognition of inherited blood disorders as a public health priority, stronger policy commitment, increased domestic funding, and enhanced long-term patient outcomes, including reduced reliance on donor support.
The Forum featured presentations and panel discussions led by distinguished national and international experts, including Prof. Omolade Awodu, Team Lead for Strengthening Haemophilia Care in Nigeria; Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Social Welfare; and Prof. Obiageli Nnodu, Director of the Centre for Sickle Cell Disease Research & Training.
Other speakers included Denise Brændgård, General Manager of the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia & Haemoglobinopathies Foundation, and representatives from Africa CDC, World Federation of Haemophilia, Fondation Pierre Fabre, and leaders of patient advocacy foundations.
Government representatives from the National Health Insurance Authority, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NAFDAC, and Commissioners of Health across all geopolitical zones also participated.
Brændgård noted that sustainable access to lifesaving care and treatment requires government ownership alongside continued community engagement.
“As the NNHF expands our focus to include sickle cell disease as well as haemophilia, we look forward to co-creating solutions that will support our partners in Nigeria to create systemic and lasting change,” Brændgård said.
The Inherited Blood Disorders Leadership Forum represents a pivotal step toward repositioning haemophilia and sickle cell disease as national priorities within Nigeria’s broader health agenda.
By convening policymakers, clinicians, patient leaders, and development partners, the forum aims to catalyze concrete policy shifts, unlock domestic financing, and build sustainable systems of care.
The Novo Nordisk Haemophilia & Haemoglobinopathies Foundation is a non-profit organization improving access to care for people with haemophilia and haemoglobinopathies in low- and middle-income countries.
The foundation funds projects that build capacity for diagnosis and care, strengthen infrastructure, and drive data-based advocacy, with a partnership-based approach that allows for custom-tailored solutions rooted in each nation’s context.