Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessively inherited disorder and one of the most common genetic conditions worldwide. Over 300 million people have sickle cell traits world-wide with three-quarters of that population concentrated in Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean and one-Quarter in sub-Saharan Africa.  Globally, Nigeria has the greatest absolute number of people with SCD, with up to 150,000 infants with SCD born each year. SCD in Nigeria has been associated with discrimination ostensibly deriving from supernatural belief systems, such as the ogbanje (sick children, reincarnated within families, a process orchestrated by supernatural spirits), and early childhood deaths from SCD show large overlaps with constituencies of children deemed to comprise such malevolent spirits. People living with SCD in Nigeria occupy a socially marginalized and devalued position in which they experience labeling stigma and widespread social disapproval for their perceived inability to live up to a range of social expectations. Aside from direct harmful experiences of social devaluation, rejection and isolation, there is a danger of individuals internalizing this stigma and their socially devalued identity with negative impacts on their self-esteem. In view of this background, this study analyzes the social stigma associated with sickle cell disease in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State. To address the problem of study, three research questions were raised. The researcher adopted a survey research design. A total of one hundred and forty-four (144) respondents comprised the target of the study. Questionnaire and was the instrument used for data collection. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), frequency tables and percentages (%) were employed in the data analysis. It was discovered that most of the respondents are aware of sickle cell anaemia disease and they heard about sickle cell anaemia disease from health personal. Sickle cell disease is common in the study area and most of the respondents know someone in their community that suffers from sickle cell disease.    Sickle cell     child(ren) can cause family/marital disharmony and relatives, and  families feel embarrassed because they have a family member(s) with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a reincarnation of someone who had a similar illness in the past (Abiku/Ogbanje), and Sickle cell disease make the patient feel inferior. There is direct discrimination on the job, in schools, and within families against sickle cell patients, people with sickle cell disease may experience low self-esteem, embarrassment, and other complications as a result of stigma and are perceived and looked differently on sickle cell patient compared to their peers.

                                                                      TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background of the Study     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    1
1.2    Statement of the Problem     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    3
1.3    Research Questions     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    4
1.4    Objectives of the Study     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    5
1.5    Significance of the Study     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    5
1.6    Scope of the Study     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    6
1.7    Definition of Terms    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    6
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL
2.1 Introduction     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    7
2.2 Knowledge on Sickle Cell Disease -    -    -    -    -    -    -    7
2. 3. Prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease    -    -    -    -    -    -    11
2.4 Social Stigma Associated with Sickle Cell Disease    -    -    -    -    15
2.5    Theoretical Framework     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    21
2.5.1 Symbolic Interaction Theory    -        -    -    -    -    -    21
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.0    Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    24
3.1     Location of the Study     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    24
3.2    Sources of Data Collection    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    25   
3.3    Population of Study and Sampling Technique-    -    -    -    -    25
3.5    Method of Data Collection     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    26
3.5    Methods of Data Analysis     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    27
3.6    Problems Encountered in the Field     -    -    -    -    -    -    27
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1    Introduction     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    29
4.2    Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents     -    -    -    -    29
4.3    Knowledge of sickle cell disease    -    -    -    -    -    -    30
4.4    Prevalence of sickle cell disease -    -    -    -    -    -    -    32
4.5    Social stigma associated with sickle cell disease -    -    -    -    -    35
4.6 Discussion of major findings     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    36
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1    Summary of Findings    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    41
5.2    Conclusion     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    42
5.3    Recommendations     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    42
    References    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    44
    Appendices     -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    50