Effort to aid people living with sickle cell in sub-Saharan Africa
Collaborative endeavor to launch first in Tanzania and Uganda
Texas Children’s Global HOPE and Baylor College of Medicine Global Health, collaborating with the independent charity Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, have announced a pioneering program to combat sickle cell disease (SCD) in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Launching first in Tanzania and Uganda, this program is intended to improve the survival and quality of life for millions of children in the region who are living with SCD.
“In response to the outcry by the public and Ministries of Health to address [SCD] in Africa, together with colleagues and partners in Africa we have resolved to depart from the status quo by integrating interventions into the existing primary health systems to rapidly scale up, save resources, and lives,” Joseph Lubega, MD, an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine and director of Texas Children’s Global HOPE Program, said in a press release. “This is the beginning of bringing an end to thousands of years of intolerable pain, disability, and tragic deaths because of sickle cell disease across Africa. These children and families cannot wait any longer.”
SCD is a genetic disorder characterized by the production of an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen. The defective hemoglobin, known as hemoglobin S, causes red blood cells to take on a crescent, or sickle-like, shape, and leads to their premature breakdown, resulting in anemia and other health complications.
While SCD can occur in people of any background, it’s particularly prevalent among Black or African American populations. In 2023, of the more than 7.7 million people estimated to be living with SCD, more than 80% were in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Families in sub-Saharan Africa know the devastating impact of [SCD] all too well,” said Catharine Grimes, president of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. “For people living outside of major urban centers, finding care is a significant challenge and sometimes not even possible.”
What will the new program do for people in sub-Saharan Africa?
In Tanzania, the initiative, called Sickle Cell Access and Lifelong Care Program (SCALE), will focus on providing and improving early screening, preventing infection, and treatment accessibility. Additional partners in this effort include Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Tanzania, Bugando Medical Center, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, and the Tanzanian Ministry of Health.
In Uganda, the program will attempt to integrate SCD care into primary healthcare services in rural regions like Kayunga. It will be led by Uganda’s Ministry of Health and other prominent medical institutions.
The initiative is part of a broader, phased pan-African strategy being carried out in partnership with Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the goal of building sustainable healthcare capacity. Measures include screening infants at birth, administering vaccines and other treatments to prevent fatal infections, and supplying hydroxyurea to prevent SCD complications. Training local health workers and providing essential medical supplies to ensure long-term care is also part of the program.
“Our new initiative will integrate lifesaving early-stage interventions into primary care facilities in non-urban areas. Leveraging the infrastructure and local healthcare capacity we have already built to address previous urgent crises like HIV/AIDS, we are focused on empowering local health workers to provide sustainable, long-term care. The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is proud to be working in partnership with these local health care professionals to turn the tide against this dire public health threat and deliver a brighter, healthier future for families around the region,” Grimes said.
The program follows a longtime collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine Global Health, Texas Children’s Global Health and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, which had previously helped to transform pediatric HIV/AIDS care across Africa. Since 2016, the Texas Children’s Global HOPE Program has trained hundreds of specialists, providing advanced care for children with cancer, SCD, and blood disorders.
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