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africacdc.org/download/afric… Download the Africa CDC continental plan for sickle cell disease and other inherited blood disorders @AfricaCDC @CDCgov @NCDIpoverty @ASH_hematology @bayloruganda – at Gulu, Uganda

"Every day in Uganda, over 20,000 babies are born with Sickle Cell Disease", former Minister of Health @JaneRuth_Aceng – at Gulu, Uganda

Help us prevent children from dying in the dawn of life. – at Gulu, Uganda

PRESS RELEASE: @TackleSickle welcomes the launch of OneSCD, a global partnership focused on advancing equity and transforming sickle cell care. We remain committed to turning global commitments into practical action for children and families affected by sickle cell disease.

A question as simple as “Do you know your genotype?” can open the door to conversations that may shape an entire lifetime. In partnership with @RaremarkFdn through the #KnowYourType campaign, we're taking sickle cell awareness beyond posters and social media and bringing it directly into schools, workplaces and communities. The goal is straightforward: 🩸 Promote genotype screening 📚 Provide accurate, accessible information about sickle cell disease 🗣️ Challenge myths, misconceptions and stigma 💡 Empower people to make informed decisions about their health and future 🤝 Connect communities with the knowledge and support they need We have seen firsthand that awareness alone is not enough. People need the opportunity to ask questions, get tested, understand their results and know what those results mean. That is why partnerships matter. Together with Raremark Foundation and our growing network of community and institutional partners, we are working to make genotype knowledge more accessible—and to normalize the idea that knowing your type should be part of knowing yourself. We invite schools, workplaces, universities, faith communities, organizations and community groups to join us in taking #KnowYourType to more people. Because informed communities make informed decisions. Know your type. Understand your status. Make informed choices. – at Gulu, Uganda

A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR ADVOCACY. We are proud to announce that Hemophilia is now officially part of Tackle Sickle Cell Africa’s advocacy focus. Our mission has always been rooted in one fundamental belief: people living with blood disorders deserve to be seen, heard, supported, and given access to the care they need to live healthy and dignified lives. Expanding our advocacy to include hemophilia is a natural and deliberate step forward. Across Africa, people living with hemophilia continue to face challenges including limited awareness, delayed diagnosis, inadequate access to essential treatment, and significant gaps in comprehensive care and support. We are committed to helping change that. Going forward, we will work to: ✓ Raise awareness about hemophilia and its impact ✓ Amplify the voices of people and families affected by the condition ✓ Advocate for equitable access to diagnosis, treatment and comprehensive care ✓ Strengthen community support and inclusion ✓ Advance policies and partnerships that improve outcomes for people living with hemophilia. This is more than an addition to our profile. It is an expansion of our responsibility. From sickle cell disease to hemophilia, we are building a broader movement for better awareness, stronger health systems, equitable access to care, and a healthier Africa. Same mission. Broader impact. #TackleSickleCellAfrica #Hemophilia #SickleCellDisease #BloodDisorders #HealthEquity #Africa #HemophiliaAwareness #HealthcareAccess – at Gulu, Uganda

⚽ TACKLING SICKLE CELL THROUGH UNITY, AWARENESS & ACTION 🩸💚 @TackleSickle , under @SCAUuganda , was proud to participate in the Sickle Cell Awareness Football Gala organized by @RaisingHopeInt2 . This was more than a football event. It was a powerful reminder that sickle cell awareness belongs in every space—including our communities, schools, workplaces, and sporting fields. Sport has the power to bring people together. Through events like this, we create opportunities to: 🩸 Raise awareness about sickle cell disease 🩸 Challenge stigma and misconceptions 🩸 Promote early testing and informed decisions 🩸 Build solidarity with individuals and families affected by sickle cell 🩸 Inspire communities to take collective action At Tackle Sickle Cell Africa, we believe that awareness must go beyond information—it must lead to understanding, inclusion, support, and action. We extend our appreciation to Raising Hope International Friends, the Sickle Cell Alliance of Uganda, fellow participating organizations, partners, and everyone who used the power of football to amplify the sickle cell conversation. Together, we can create a future where no person living with sickle cell is left behind. #TackleSickleCellAfrica #SickleCellAwareness #SickleCellAllianceUganda #SickleCellAwarenessFootballGala #SCAFOG #TacklingSickleCell #SickleCellWarriors #HealthAwareness #CommunityAction #FootballForACause – at Gulu, Uganda

Today is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay Living with Sickle Cell Disease is more than physical pain. It's the missed school days, the hospital stays, the stigma, the anxiety, the feeling of being a burden, and the silent mental battles no one sees. At @TackleSickle , we want you to know this: It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to talk about it. You don't have to fight this pain alone. To every warrior who has felt tired of fighting, to every parent feeling overwhelmed, to every caregiver carrying it all in silence - we see you, we hear you, you matter. Let's check on our warriors. Let's listen without judgment. Let's break the silence. If you or someone you know is struggling, please talk to someone you trust, a counselor, or call a local support helpline. #TackleSickleCellAfrica #WSPD2025 #YouAreNotAlone #SickleCellAndMentalHealth #EndTheStigma #MentalHealthMatters – at Gulu, Uganda

🩸 LEADERSHIP THAT GIVES LIFE @TackleSickle applauds Hon. @BalaamBarugahar Minister for Local Government, for leading by example through donating blood during the recent National Blood Donation Drive and Awareness Campaign at Kololo Independence Grounds. Blood donation is more than a charitable act—it is a lifeline. Every day, patients across Uganda require blood for emergencies, childbirth complications, surgeries, severe anaemia, and other life-threatening conditions. For some people living with sickle cell disease, access to safe and timely blood transfusion can also be a critical part of care. This powerful act reminds us that saving lives is a shared responsibility. As advocates for people living with sickle cell disease, we recognise the importance of strengthening voluntary blood donation and building sustainable blood supplies that can serve all patients in need. We commend leaders who do not only speak about saving lives—but take action. 🩸 One donation can make a difference. ❤️ A culture of voluntary blood donation can save countless lives. Let us continue to promote voluntary blood donation, strengthen our health systems, and stand together for patients and families who depend on timely access to safe blood. Donate blood. Save lives. Give hope. – at Gulu, Uganda

The Joint Community Mental Health & Integrated Health Outreach at Gulu Prison Primary School has ended — but the work continues. Sickle Cell Anemia is not only pain crises and hospital beds. It is the quiet load of anxiety, depression, isolation, and caregiver burnout that too often stays unspoken. To every warrior and every caregiver in Gulu and beyond: •Your lived experience is valid. •Your mental health is part of your treatment. •You are not alone. Let's keep the change going: ✓Know your genotype. Get screened if you have not. ✓Check in on a warrior or a caregiver this week. ✓Talk about mental health without shame. Stigma ends when we speak. ✓Donate blood. It saves lives. ✓Reach out for counselling if you or someone you love is struggling. This #SickleCellAwarenessMonth, Let us keep listening. Let us keep acting. – at Gulu, Uganda

Sickle Cell Disease is no longer medically mysterious. What remains is a failure of reach. Raremark is changing that. @don_magezi @steven_B256 @ddanielroy – at Gulu, Uganda

We are honored to be part of the Joint Community Mental Health and Integrated Health Outreach happening from 2nd to 4th September at Gulu Prison Primary School in Gulu City, Northern Uganda. This is an important platform bringing together communities, health professionals, advocates, and partner organisations to amplify lived experiences and advance more responsive, inclusive, and integrated healthcare. Through meaningful community engagement and shared experiences, the outreach is highlighting the importance of listening to real voices, addressing health needs holistically, and translating lived experiences into meaningful action and change. We remain committed to ensuring that people affected by sickle cell disease are included in conversations and interventions that shape equitable, person-centred healthcare across Africa. Be part of our work in Northern Uganda. Donate today! tacklesicklecellafrica.org @MHCenterKids @MentalUnleash @TpoUg – at Gulu, Uganda

September is here! And for us at @TackleSickle , this is more than a month of awareness. It is a renewed commitment to a future where sickle cell disease no longer determines how much a child can dream, how much a family must suffer, or how much a person must endure. Every newborn deserves a healthy start. Every person living with sickle cell deserves quality, comprehensive care. Every family deserves knowledge, support and hope. Across Africa, too many children are still diagnosed too late. Too many families navigate the disease without adequate information or support. Too many warriors endure preventable pain because the care they need is out of reach. We can do better. This September, let us move beyond awareness, to action, access, early diagnosis, comprehensive care and system change. Happy September! 💙 – at Gulu, Uganda

@TackleSickle joins the Royal Family of Tooro, the people of Tooro Kingdom, H.E. @KagutaMuseveni , and the nation of Uganda in mourning the passing of His Majesty Rukirabasaija Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty the Queen Mother, the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire, and all who loved and served the Omukama. May his soul rest in eternal peace. – at Gulu, Uganda

In many African regions, mothers and newborns leave the hospital within 24–72 hours, often traveling hundreds of miles back to their villages. If screening requires centralized lab processing, those infants are effectively lost to follow‑up. Will they return in 3–6 months? Will they revisit the vaccination site? That's unknown. To really fight Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), early detection must occur before the newborn leaves the facility. Delayed hemoglobinopathy diagnostics aren’t just late. They are missed. A rapid, point‑of‑care test such as Microscreen Sickle Cell RDT performed during the newborn’s first hospital stay is the only reliable path to early identification, early counseling, and early intervention. Without it, health systems lose the patient before care can even begin. Let's embrace point of care new born screenining for SCD. @CAkwesigye @Microhaem @MinofHealthUG @Sicklecell_cg @CayenneWellness @RaremarkFdn @DianaAtwine @SCAUuganda – at Gulu, Uganda

Mothers of children living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) often carry an invisible weight — isolation, blame, emotional trauma, and in too many cases, domestic violence and rejection by their own families. Through our LinkedIn post linkedin.com/posts/tackle-si… we learned of a mother whose husband beat her and threw her out of the house simply because their second child was born with sickle cell disease. He claimed she was “only bearing him sick children.” The family sided with him. She was left alone — yet she kept fighting for her child. These women are not just caregivers. They are heroes navigating stigma, financial pressure, and profound mental health challenges every single day. At @TackleSickle, we believe no mother should face this alone. We’re calling on women’s rights and gender justice organizations to partner with us in advancing real support — psychosocial care, safe spaces, economic empowerment, and protection from violence — for mothers raising children with sickle cell disease. @UN_Women @unwomenafrica @equalitynow @fidakenya @AmnestyKenya @WomensRightsAfrica @PlanUganda @GNBKenya @GirlsGeneration @GirlsWhoCode @uwonet @WomensHealthMag @womenshealth @womensmarch @ManUtdWomen If your organization works at the intersection of women’s rights, gender-based violence, and health equity — especially in Africa — we want to collaborate. Mothers of children with sickle cell deserve more than survival. They deserve support, dignity, and mental health care that matches the strength they show every day. #SickleCellAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #SupportSickleCellMothers #EndGBV #WomensRights #CaregiverMentalHealth