Pan‑African Sickle Cell Clinical Coordinating Center
Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium Clinical Coordinating Center (SPARCO Center)
This program links sickle cell clinics across Africa to improve care, share patient information, and train local health teams for people with sickle cell disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| 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 ID | NIH-11092815 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This network brings together clinics in several African countries to collect health information and coordinate care for people with sickle cell disease. The coordinating center runs a patient registry, supports specimen and data banks, and helps standardize treatments and guidelines. It also provides training for clinicians and researchers and fosters collaboration between sites so that successful practices can spread. Joining usually means receiving care at a participating clinic and agreeing to share health records or samples for the registry.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with sickle cell disease who receive care at or can attend participating clinics in the listed African countries (currently Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, and new partner sites) are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without sickle cell disease, those who live outside participating regions, or those who decline to share their health information or samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make sickle cell care more consistent and effective across participating African sites, expand access to proven treatments, and open opportunities for patients to join future clinical studies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous SPARCO work has enrolled over 10,000 sickle cell patients and produced recommended standards of care, indicating the network model has worked in practice.
Where this research is happening
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep
- Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis — Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makani, Julie — Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis
- Study coordinator: Makani, Julie
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 below.