Aims: To investigate the relationship of age, sex, education, occupation, tribe and geopolitical zones on haemoglobin genotype (Hb) status awareness of Some Nursing Parents receiving Neonatal immunization in Jos, North-Central Nigeria.

Settings and Design: A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study.

Method: A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study involving 782 parents from Jos, North-central Nigeria nested in a Neonatal Haemoglobin Variants Screening Initiative (NHVSI) of infants receiving immunization.

Statistical Analysis Used: Data analysis was by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 23 (Chicago II, USA) software.

Result: A total of 782 participants were recruited comprising of 391 mothers and 391 fathers. Majority of the respondents did not know their status (57.8%).Of the factors affecting their awareness sex had no significant difference. Age showed that respondents less than 20years of age, had the highest don’t know status (82.6%).Those with primary and non formal education had the highest don’t know status (90% and 86.7%).Geopolitical zone northwest had the highest don’t know (77.5%) and the highest don’t know for tribes was the Hausa-fulani (82.4%).Lastly occupation showed that self-employed had the highest don’t know.

Conclusion: This shows that more enlightenment campaign of Hb genotype and determined government drive to carry out a general Hb genotype screening of all citizens  20 years of age is needed especially the Hausa/Fulani of the Northern part of Nigeria. Therefore Parental genotype screening should be included in neonatal screening program.

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Iheanacho, Charity, U. (M.Sc)

Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus