Myth vs Fact
What part of the body do stem cells used for donation come from?
Bone Marrow
What does it mean for two people to be a stem cell match?
Their HLA markers are compatible enough for transplant
What are the main components of blood, and what does each one do?
Red blood cells carry oxygen, plasma carries nutrients and proteins, platelets help with clotting.
Who was Nigeria’s first democratically elected president in the Fourth Republic (1999)?
Olusegun Obasanjo
What genetic blood disorder disproportionately affects people of African descent?
Sickle cell disease
What was the name of Nigeria’s capital city before Abuja became the capital in 1991?
How are stem cells most commonly collected from donors today?
Through the bloodstream, similar to donating blood.
Why might patients from underrepresented communities wait longer for a match?
Fewer similar donors in the registry
Name one medical condition that commonly requires regular blood transfusions.
Who was the Nigerian environmental activist executed in 1995 after protesting oil exploitation in the Niger Delta?
Why do people with sickle cell disease often require blood transfusions?
People with sickle cell disease often require blood transfusions because their red blood cells can become misshapen and break down more quickly, leading to anemia and reduced oxygen delivery to the body. Transfusions help increase healthy red blood cells, improve oxygen levels, and reduce complications such as severe pain, stroke, and organ damage.
Who was Nigeria’s first Prime Minister after independence?
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
What factors are used to match a stem cell donor to a patient?
HLA markers, which are genetic and inherited.
What are the chances that a patient will find a match within their own family?
About 25–30% chance (siblings)
What is the term used when a patient’s immune system develops antibodies against transfused blood?
Alloimmunization
Which Nigerian economist served as Director-General of the WTO?
What is the only widely recognized curative treatment for sickle cell disease?
Stem cell transplants
What is the name of the Nigerian civil war that took place from 1967 to 1970?
The Biafran War
Why might some patients have a harder time finding a stem cell match than others?
Because matches are more likely within the same ancestry, and some groups are underrepresented in the registry.
What other options are available for a patient if they don’t find a stem cell match within their family? Name two.
What is one example of a blood group antigen, other than ABO, that doctors may consider when matching blood?
Duffy (also acceptable: Kell, Kidd)
Which Nigerian Nobel Laureate was imprisoned during the Nigerian Civil War for attempting to broker peace?
Wole Soyinka
Why is sickle cell disease more prevalent in malaria-endemic regions?
Sickle cell disease is more prevalent in malaria-endemic regions because carrying one copy of the sickle cell gene provides partial protection against severe malaria. Over time, this survival advantage led to the gene becoming more common in areas where malaria is widespread, even though having two copies of the gene causes sickle cell disease.
What is the name of the regional economic bloc that Nigeria is a founding member of in West Africa?
ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)
Increasing the number of donors solves disparities in finding matches
Myth. It’s not just about more donors, it’s about having diverse and representative donors, especially across different ancestries.
What is alloimmunization, and why can it make future blood transfusions more difficult for some patients?
It’s when the body develops antibodies against donor blood, making it harder to find compatible blood in the future.
Why might Duffy-negative blood be more common in some populations, and why does that matter for transfusions?
It’s more common in people of African ancestry, and matching it can help reduce complications.
Which Nigerian women’s rights activist led protests against colonial taxation in 1929, known as the Aba Women’s War?
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
What are the main risks associated with stem cell transplantation?
Stem cell donation poses very little risk to the donor. Most donations are done through a process similar to donating blood, which may cause temporary side effects such as fatigue, headache, bone or muscle aches, or mild discomfort for a short time. Serious long-term risks to donors are extremely rare, and donors typically return to normal activities within a few days.
What is the name of Nigeria’s highest court in the judicial system?
The Supreme Court of Nigeria