Lira Catholic Diocese commits to sickle cell fight

LIRA - Lira Catholic Diocese has committed to stepping up the fight against sickle cell disease, which currently stands as the biggest burden in the Lango region.

Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok announced the diocese’s move on October 12, 2025, during the Holy Mass at the Uganda Martyrs Cathedral-Lira, asking the congregation to test for the disease. Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition.

At the time of conception, each parent who is a carrier of the AS gene can pass it on to the unborn child. A person with normal haemoglobin carries the AA genotype, while someone with sickle cell disease has the SS genotype.

He said over 40% of the total population of Lango is said to be suffering from sickle cell, which requires every individual and institution to collectively give input in curbing this through encouraging and extending care to the victims, as well as praying for them.

The bishop said as part of the awareness creation, the diocese will incorporate in all its pastoral programmes, the sickle cell awareness and prevention activities.

As part of the action, the diocese invited a team of medical workers from the health ministry, which tested for the disease and undertook counselling sessions in the Church compound. The exercise attracted hundreds of worshippers.

Wanok lauded the health ministry for the tremendous efforts being made to address the disease burden in Lango through awareness creation and mass testing campaigns.

Uganda ranks fifth in Africa for disease burden, with 13.3% of children carrying the sickle cell trait.  

A national sickle cell survey conducted in 2014 by the health ministry, in collaboration with Makerere University College of Health Sciences and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, revealed that Northern Uganda bears the heaviest burden, with a sickle cell trait prevalence of 18.6%, and some communities recording rates as high as 63%.

The east-central region follows with 16.7%, while the mideastern and southwestern regions show 16.5% and 4.1%, respectively.

Church is key to the fight against sickle cell disease 

Ramathan Yasin, the co-ordinator of sickle cell awareness and testing campaign at the ministry, said statistics show that the Lango region is suffering the highest burden of the disease and that intervention of Church leaders in the fight will go a long way in curbing.

He said they have so far spent one month in the Lango region, moving to market places, churches and mosques, talking to the church leaders to join the fight.

Yasin added: We also formed the students’ consortium that brought all the students from all the tertiary institutions and formed the students’ taskforce to ensure we have these campaigns rolling down to the community.

“We have come to the Church because it has the biggest number and it deals with people where parents come. So, if the religious leaders spearhead this fight, they can pass the message then the followers can respond,” Yasin said, thanking the Lira diocese for embracing the initiative.

The initiative, he said, will help people make informed decisions during marriage.
Evelin Mwesiga, the National Sickle Cells Advocate, said, on Tuesday this week, with the Ministry of Health, what they are doing in Lango is to see that more awareness is raised.

Mwesigwa also announced that they would launch the National Sickle Cell care and awareness campaign in Lira City on Tuesday and have the sickle cells care program extended to the regional referrals and the district hospitals as well as the HCIVs countrywide.