From Hospital to Classroom: KATH Family Medicine Directorate Nurses and XYSCO Sickle Cell Foundation Inspire Genotype Testing at KNUST SHS
In an inspiring blend of clinical expertise and grassroots health advocacy, nurses from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Family Medicine Directorate under the initiative dubbed “Nursing Beyond Hospital Walls” have partnered with the XYSCO Sickle Cell Foundation to take the message of genotype awareness and sickle cell prevention directly to the classroom. The campaign, which targeted students of KNUST Senior High School in Kumasi, highlighted the critical importance of genotype testing as a preventive measure in the fight against sickle cell disease.
Held in line with the global observation of World Sickle Cell Day, the program signaled a new approach in healthcare outreach, bridging the gap between hospitals and educational institutions. Nurses from the Family Medicine Directorate of KATH, armed with charts, visual aids, and real-world experiences, transformed the school hall into a temporary medical classroom where knowledge became the most potent medicine.
XYSCO Sickle Cell Foundation brought its signature youth-focused energy to the program, using creative arts and relatable stories to drive home the message.
Executive Director of XYSCO, Francis Sarkodie Nyame, reinforced the point. “This disease doesn’t need to continue. It thrives on ignorance and silence. But today, these students are being handed the power of knowledge and the voice to educate others.”
The lead facilitator from KATH, Miss Catherine Akyamaah Korankye Eastwood, opened her session with a challenge to the students: “Do you know your genotype? If not, today is your turning point.” She explained how sickle cell is not contracted like an infection but passed down genetically when both parents are carriers of the sickle cell trait. “If we test, we can plan. If we plan, we can protect our future children,” she emphasized.
One of the students, Kwabena Owusu, described the experience as “eye-opening and life-changing.” He added, “I’ve never been tested before. But after today, I now understand why it’s so important. I’ll tell my parents and my friends. We all need to know.”
Teachers and staff at KNUST SHS were full of praise for the initiative. The Head of the Science Department, Mr. Emmanuel Asiedu, commended the organizers for making science real and relevant. “This is education that goes beyond textbooks—it saves lives.”
The event ended with students making pledges to not only know their own genotypes but to become ambassadors of sickle cell awareness in their communities.
By taking their knowledge from the hospital wards to school classrooms, nurses from KATH Family Medicine Directorate and XYSCO Sickle Cell Foundation are proving that prevention starts with education—and that the youth, when properly informed, can lead the charge in ending the cycle of sickle cell disease in Ghana.
