OBJECTIVE: TO PROVIDE AWARENESS AND INFORMATION ABOUT SICKLE CELL DISEASE IN UGANDA.

In Ugandan communities, people have little or no knowledge about sickle cell disease. They have so many myths about the disease. This includes even some of the medical personal especially in the rural areas.

Due to this situation, Uganda sickle cell Rescue Foundation together with the Ministry of health started by training counselors in sickle cell. Over 50 counselors were trained and these help out in our awareness and counseling activities. More to this, we carryout Continuous Medical Education (CME) in some hospitals such that clinicians are equipped with latest sickle cell information.

We hold a conference every year where we invite local and international experts in sickle cell to share any new discoveries so that people get to unlearn and learn a lot of things concerning sickle cell.

Using the trained counselors we make visits to some hospitals that have sickle cell clinics on the day the clinic operates. We talk to mothers, care givers and also those with the disease. We offer psychological help to those that need it, management skills in sickle cell and sickle cell information. This has helped a number of them to learn how to take good care of themselves, increased the self-esteem of patients and mothers/caregivers hence starting to live happily and hopeful.