Seminar 2009 : NORWEGIAN SICKLE CELL ANEMIA

Seminar Report 2009

This year as last year NSCAO has held a seminar about the disease sickle cell anemia at the FOKUS premises in Storgaten 11. The theme of the seminar was mainly, generally about sickle cell disease and the social and cultural background associated with the disease. There were even more people (ca.50) attending than last year. Seminar Presenters were Doctor Anne Grete Steen Bech from Ullevål University Hospital, Dr. Polit. John David Kisuule from Budoconsultants, Genforsker Ratiyazi Nyenya from the University of Oslo and Regina Adahada, head of PAWA (Panafrican Women Association).

The four speakers gave interesting reviews of their topics, which were well received by the audience. In turn, the audience got to asked questions relating to the diseases background, origin and how to find out if one has sickle cell anemia.

Physician Anne G. Bechensteen, from Ullevål Sykehus children's dept. gave a concise and simple presentation on the medical aspects of sickle cell anemia. In addition she also gave a review of the drug Hydroxyurea used in some patients with sickle cell anemia. She underlined the importance of sickle cell patients taking the swine flu vaccine since they often have a weak immune system and therefore are very susceptible to infections. Steen Bech also urged that those who come from areas with this disease should take a screening examination. More on physician Anne G. Bechensteen her presentation can be found HERE

The rest of the program dealt with the socio-cultural differences affecting the patients with sickle cell anemia, and any prejudice one may experience with having an illness in different cultures.

Dr. Polit. John David Kisuule, Oslo University, pointed out as well about the importance of understanding a culture's perception of a disease which is also useful in discovering important aspects of other's world view. This is the complex of motivation, perceptions and beliefs that we internalize and which greatly affects how we interact with other people and things in nature. That is, a set of feelings and basic attitudes about the world that is largely learned early in life and cannot easily be changed later in life. The presentation can be found HERE

Genforsker R. Nyenya, of Oslo University, gave a presentation that, well explained where and how sickle cell anemia occurred and where in the world one could find such conditions of sickle cell disease. More about Nyenyas lectures are HERE.

PAWAs leader, Regina Adahada came in on the theme about the challenges parents of minority backgrounds experience of having a sick child in Norway.

NSCAO thanks the forum for women and development issues (FOCUS) for rental of premises, thanks to the Panafrican Women Association (PAWA), all the presentation holders, audience and last but not least units for Diversity and Integration (EMI) for making this seminar possible, thanks!