A recent sickle cell awareness campaign in Teso subregion has revealed a concerning prevalence of the sickle cell gene among students in Kumi district, with nearly one in five tested carrying the trait. The findings, a result of a "Know Your Sickle Status" run, have prompted local health officials to emphasize the critical need for pre-marital screening to curb the rising incidence of the disease.
During the two-day testing initiative, conducted across 24 secondary schools in Kumi, a total of 1,036 students were screened. Dr. Emmanuel Ongala, the Kumi District Health Officer (DHO), reported that 19.3 percent of these students tested positive for the sickle cell gene.
"This implies that in every four people, one is carrying the trait," Dr. Ongala stated, highlighting the significant public health challenge. He noted that sickle cell awareness has been a regional priority, with emphasis placed on individuals knowing their status "to avoid the production of sicklers."
Dr. Ongala strongly encouraged religious leaders to mandate sickle cell testing for couples before marriage as a crucial step to prevent the spread of the debilitating disease. He underscored the urgency, revealing that sickle cell cases in Kumi have surged from 900 to approximately 1,500 within the last year alone.
The awareness run successfully attracted representatives from across the Teso region and managed to sell 442 testing kits, each at 25,000 shillings, raising a total of 11,050,000 UGX. Dr. Ongala confirmed that the funds collected will be used to stock equipment for the sickle cell clinic at Atutur General Hospital. Furthermore, the district health department plans to operationalize a new sickle cell clinic at Kumi Health Center Four.
Expressing gratitude, Dr. Ongala thanked the Ministry of Health for its support, providing testing kits and training sickle cell testers, and appealed for continued assistance.
However, the challenge of managing sickle cell patients extends beyond Kumi. Mikairi Umar, a medical clinician managing sickle cell patients in neighboring Palisa district, echoed the concerns. He reported receiving an average of five sickle cell clients daily, with his clinic managing a total of over a thousand patients.
Umar highlighted severe operational challenges, including frequent stockouts of essential drugs for patients and a scarcity of testing kits for daily patient monitoring. He called upon the government to provide districts with sufficient equipment and supplies to effectively manage the growing number of sickle cell patients.
The findings from the Teso region underscore the persistent burden of sickle cell disease and the urgent need for increased awareness, comprehensive testing, and sustained governmental support to mitigate its impact on communities.
