Expanding sickle cell care and research in Tanzania
Official title: Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO)- Tanzania
Funded at Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis · NIH-11087559 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will build stronger care services, train health workers, and create a large patient registry to help people with sickle cell disease in Tanzania.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep) |
| Project start | May 15, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $346,458 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HL156853-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11087559 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People of any age living with sickle cell disease in Tanzania who receive care at participating clinics, including newborns, children, and adults, are ideal candidates for involvement.
✕Less likely to help
People without sickle cell disease or those living outside Tanzania (or not able to attend participating sites) are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
We are growing a Tanzanian center to enroll thousands of people with sickle cell disease and add a new satellite site in Zanzibar. The project will set up a standardized patient database, collect clinical data and samples, and follow patients over time. Health workers will receive training and the team will work with other African centers to share best practices and influence national policies. The goal is to make care more consistent and to generate local evidence about what treatments work best here.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get more consistent, higher-quality care, better access to trained clinicians, and treatments informed by a large local patient database.
How similar studies have gone: This builds on the existing SPARCO consortium begun in 2017 and on regional registries that have shown promise in improving care, but large-scale, continent-wide SCD evidence is still evolving.
Where this research is happening
-
Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Balandya, Emmanuel — Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis
- Study coordinator: Balandya, Emmanuel
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.