Pan‑African Sickle Cell Clinical Coordinating Center
Official title: Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium Clinical Coordinating Center (SPARCO Center)
Funded at Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis · NIH-11092815 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | April 1, 2017 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $516,546 |
| NIH project number | 5U24HL135881-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11092815 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
Related research
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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.
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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.