Improving sickle cell care, research, and training in Uganda
Official title: Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO) Uganda: Strengthening Capacity for Clinical Care, Research and Training in Sickle Cell Disease - SCRT Project.
Funded at Makerere University College of Health Sciences · NIH-11097275 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program is expanding newborn screening, clinic care, and provider training to help children and adults with sickle cell disease across Uganda.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Makerere University College of Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kampala, Uganda) |
| Project start | June 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $242,374 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HL156914-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11097275 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are newborns, children, adolescents, and adults in Uganda who have or are suspected to have sickle cell disease and can attend participating clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People living outside Uganda, those without sickle cell disease, or individuals unable to access the participating clinics are unlikely to benefit directly from this program.
What this research studies
As someone with sickle cell disease or a parent of a child with SCD in Uganda, this program aims to expand newborn screening, strengthen clinics, and train health workers so we get care earlier and more consistently. It builds on the Makerere sickle cell clinic and its large patient database to register more patients and standardize treatment and follow-up. The project will promote infection prevention, early complication management, and increased access to treatments such as hydroxyurea where appropriate. Over time the work intends to reduce child deaths and improve ongoing health and quality of life for people with SCD in Uganda.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower childhood deaths, improve routine care, and increase access to proven SCD treatments across Uganda.
How similar studies have gone: High-income countries sharply reduced childhood SCD deaths with newborn screening, infection prevention, comprehensive care, and hydroxyurea, and early African initiatives have begun to show local improvements using similar approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Kampala, Uganda Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kiguli, Sarah — Makerere University College of Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Kiguli, Sarah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Accelerating hydroxyurea use for sickle cell disease in Nigeria
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Immune and nerve signals behind acupuncture relief for sickle cell pain
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Mindfulness-based Support for Pain and Sleep in Young People with Sickle Cell Disease
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How diet affects white blood cells and sickle cell disease
A study looks at how nutrition, from early life to adulthood, influences sickle cell disease by examining neutrophils and disease severity in people with SCD and in a mouse model.
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Nutrition-based plan to ease pain in sickle cell disease
A nutrition-based approach is being tested to reduce pain for people living with sickle cell disease.
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.