With its current population at 167 million, Nigeria is the most populous African country. It has the highest sickle cell disease (SCD) burden in the world with ~19 of 1000 births affected with the disease. Although there have been several SCD associations and other non-governmental organizations devoted to the disease, a concerted truly national advocacy group had been lacking. At the global SCD congress in Accra in July 2010, the Nigerian delegates met and decided to launch the Sickle Cell Support Society of Nigeria, bringing together Nigerian doctors, scientists, NGOs and patients with interest in the disease, both within the country ...