Every village reached is another step closer to a future where no child is left behind in the fight against sickle cell disease. Over the past two weeks, our community follow-up and awareness efforts have continued to make a meaningful impact. We have identified more sickle cell warriors and linked to care within their communities. Our team also traveled to six remote villages, taking sickle cell education and newborn screening awareness directly to families who often have limited access to health information and services. Through these engagements, we reached and sensitized over 200 community members, the majority being mothers and caregivers—the frontline champions of child health. The response from the communities was inspiring. Families expressed gratitude for bringing these conversations to their doorsteps and strongly appealed for screening and testing services to be integrated into future village outreaches. This growing demand demonstrates that communities are ready and willing to embrace early diagnosis and timely care when services are brought closer to them. This is why community-based outreach matters. It breaks barriers, reduces stigma, identifies children who might otherwise be missed, and connects families to care. Together, let us build stronger systems for newborn screening, early diagnosis, and comprehensive sickle cell care—one village, one family, and one warrior at a time. @ASH_hematology #SickleCellMatters #NewbornScreening #CommunityHealth #EarlyDiagnosis #BuildingHope #LeaveNoChildBehind #RHIF #SickleCellUganda

Hope Begins Where the Community Lives. ❤️. The fight against sickle cell disease cannot be won from hospitals alone—it must reach every home and every village. @ASH_hematology @novonordisk #SickleCellMatters #CommunityFirst #NewbornScreening #EarlyDiagnosis #HealthEquity #BuildingHope #RHIF #SickleCellUganda #LeaveNoChildBehind

Strengthening Health Systems for Sickle Cell Disease Care in Iganga District. From 1st–3rd June 2026, RHIF conducted a comprehensive capacity-building program aimed at strengthening the diagnosis, referral, and management of sickle cell disease (SCD) and haemophilia in Iganga District. During the first two days, over 102 healthcare providers were trained including doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, and clinical officers drawn from 20 health facilities across the district. On the third day, we built capacity of the 114 newly graduated community health workers equipping them with practical skills and knowledge to support affected families at the community level. A major highlight of the program was the official handover of a Hemex Gazelle confirmatory diagnostic machine and 1,000 point-of-care test kits to Iganga General Hospital under the presence of the Ministry of Health and District Officials. This investment will significantly strengthen newborn screening and early diagnosis services, ensuring that children born with sickle cell disease are identified early and linked to life-saving care before complications develop. In addition, 960 sickle cell screening test kits were handed over to 13 peripheral health facilities across Iganga District. By decentralizing access to screening services, more families will be able to access diagnosis closer to their communities, reducing delays in care and improving long-term health outcomes for people living with sickle cell disease. The training was facilitated by experts including Dr. Miriam Ajambo, National Coordinator for Sickle Cell Disease at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Phillip Kasirye, and Dr. Sharifa Kiwala whose expertise enriched the audience. Powered by @nnhf_foundation