Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Support Initiative, in partnership with Lira Regional Referral Hospital, has carried out a large community outreach campaign in Lira aimed at raising awareness and promoting early detection of sickle cell disease.
The outreach, which took place at a local church in Lira, provided residents with free sickle cell screening, counselling, health education, and referral services.
The program focused on grassroots communities through a Community Health Worker model intended to improve access to healthcare services and strengthen local responses to sickle cell disease, especially in remote and underserved areas.
Speaking during the event, Innocent Jasper Ococ, the Outreach Officer at Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Support Initiative, stressed the importance of community-based health interventions in addressing sickle cell disease.
He explained that many rural communities still face limited access to screening and health information, making awareness campaigns essential in reducing the burden of the inherited blood disorder.
The outreach was jointly organised by Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Support Initiative and Lira Regional Referral Hospital with support from the Community Networks for Sickle Cell Awareness.
According to organisers, the programme aims to encourage newborn screening for sickle cell trait and disease while improving referral systems through community-led healthcare initiatives.
Screening results released after the exercise showed that 307 people were tested. Out of these, 181 individuals had normal haemoglobin status (AA), 121 tested positive for the AS sickle cell trait, while five people were confirmed to have sickle cell disease (SS).
Health teams also referred 15 individuals for additional medical assessment and specialised treatment.
Sr Judith Adong, the Nurse Coordinator at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, cautioned that people carrying the AS trait may not display symptoms but can pass the gene to their children if both parents are carriers.
She advised couples to undergo sickle cell screening before marriage and seek professional genetic counselling.
Joseph Alobo, the Head of Laity at the host church, praised the outreach programme, describing it as timely and important for families that have struggled to access sickle cell testing services.
Organisers pledged to continue extending screening and awareness campaigns to more communities across the region in an effort to reduce sickle cell disease cases in Uganda.
