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Adekunle Gold explains why he remains active on sickle cell advocacy.
Nigerian singer AG Baby, has opened up about his advocacy for better healthcare for sickle cell patients, a cause close to his heart as a sufferer of the disease himself.
In a recent interview with Larry Madowo on the CNN African Voices segment, Adekunle Gold shared his personal journey and the motivations behind his efforts.
“I want people with sickle cell to feel safe and to feel like they have help, and to feel like they have support. I only recently got the courage to speak up about it and a lot of people can’t share their stories like I can,” he explained.
AG Baby revealed that his inspiration to advocate for sickle cell patients came while writing one of his songs.
He said, “When I was writing the song ‘5 Star,’ I was reflecting on my life and how I’m a miracle. There was a line that said ‘Sickle cell showed me Crises.’ It was really a tough time for me so I just thought, why don’t I lend my voice? People are dying, people are going through it.”
He recounted his childhood experiences, saying, “I have always known that I had sickle cell. I knew since I was a child that I couldn’t do certain things. I was told, ‘You have sickle cell so you can’t play in the rain like your peers.’ I had crises every time when I was a child and was in the hospital back to back.”
Adekunle Gold, who has been open about living with sickle cell, emphasized the need for improved healthcare infrastructure and support systems for individuals with the disease.
He stated, “I’m privileged to have access to these things, now think about people who don’t have access to basic things to sustain their health. If international organizations aren’t doing anything about it, it’s time to force their hands.”
Singer @adekunleGOLD opens up about living with sickle cell disease and how he adapted his lifestyle to stay healthy.
About 80% of sickle cell patients are in Africa. Nigeria has the largest population of people living with the condition in the world pic.twitter.com/JCVkxMg5oC
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) June 16, 2024
Recently, Adekunle partnered with a sickle cell management initiative in Surulere, Lagos State, to host a medical outreach for sickle cell patients. This outreach successfully provided basic healthcare to about 250 patients.