Over 300 screened for sickle cell disease in Lira

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More than 300 people were screened for sickle cell disease during a community outreach in Lira city, with health workers identifying five confirmed cases of the condition and over 120 carriers of the sickle cell trait.

The screening exercise at St Peter Claver Ober Catholic Parish in Lira city tested 307 people. Results showed that 181 individuals had AA blood status, indicating normal haemoglobin, while 121 tested AS, meaning they carry the sickle cell trait.

Five people tested SS, confirming they have sickle cell disease, while 15 others were referred for further medical attention and specialised care. Those affected were aged between two and 32 years.

Health workers counselling some of the residents that where screened for sickle cell disease at St Peter Claver Ober Catholic Parish in Lira. (Photo by Ritah Mukasa)

The outreach held on May 24, 2026, was organised by Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Support Initiative in partnership with Lira Regional Referral Hospital, with support from the Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa (CONSA).

The programme aimed to improve early detection and awareness of sickle cell disease, while promoting newborn screening for both the trait and the disease. It also sought to strengthen referral systems through community-led interventions supported by health workers.

Innocent Jasper Ococ, outreach officer at Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Support Initiative, said the exercise brought essential health services closer to grassroots communities through sickle cell screening, public awareness sessions and counselling services.

“We have used a community health worker approach aimed at strengthening local health response systems,” he said.

The approach also seeks to improve public understanding of sickle cell disease and encourage people to know their status as a way of preventing the spread of the inherited blood disorder.

Ococ emphasised the importance of community-centred interventions in combating sickle cell disease, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to screening and information remains limited.

Sr Judith Adong, nurse coordinator at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, warned that although individuals with the AS trait may not show symptoms of the disease, they can still pass the gene to their children if both parents are carriers.

She encouraged couples to undergo screening before marriage and seek professional genetic counselling.

Joseph Alobo, head of laity at St Peter Claver Ober Catholic Church, welcomed the outreach, describing it as timely and lifesaving, especially for families struggling to access sickle cell testing services.

Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Support Initiative pledged to continue taking screening and awareness campaigns to communities across the region as part of wider efforts to reduce the burden of sickle cell disease in Uganda.

Thousands afflicted

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that Uganda has one of the highest burdens of sickle cell disease globally, ranking fifth in Africa.

Approximately 150,000 Ugandans are living with the disease. The trait and disease disproportionately affect the mid-northern, east-central and western regions. The Lango sub-region carries the highest disease burden, according to the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau.