Elmer is the President of the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation in Nigeria, the country with the highest-burden of sickle cell disease in the world. Experiencing the effects of sickle cell disease on relatives early on in life, she became energized to help improve patient access to both information and quality treatment. Elmer calls sickle cell disease one of ignorance – in that patients are victims of the choices made by others (parents) – She has clear advocacy targets that include listing sickle cell disease as a disability, which would open the door to more treatment options. More broadly, Elmer is an advocate for including non-communicable diseases in healthcare planning.
