Mukono residents yearn for free sickle cell disease tests

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The absence of free testing kits frustrated hundreds of people who turned up to test for sickle cell disease in Mukono as the world commemorated the World Sickle Cell Awareness on Friday.

Many wanted to utilize a health camp organized in Nantabulirwa-Seeta by Sarafina sickle cell society, a non-government organization that provides awareness, care and testing services for the people living with sickle cell disease. The disease is an inherited blood disorder that causes sickle-shaped red blood cells that can stick together blocking blood flow and oxygen from reaching all parts of the body.

Because of the seriousness of the illness, the public is always encouraged to undertake tests to know whether they have sickle cell traits. Medics say that it is important for people to know if they have traits in order to avoid giving birth to children with sickle cell disease. Each test kit costs 80,000 shillings.

People who inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene have sickle cell trait and can pass the trait on to their children but if both parents have the trait, there is 25 percent the chance that their children will have sickle cell disease.

But the Executive Director of the organization Sarafina Bukirwa said that the camp intended to provide care and simple medication to persons with sickle cell disease. However, they were overwhelmed by the numbers of people who specifically turned up for testing.

Bukirwa notes that sickle cell is difficult to manage especially by low-income earners who cannot afford proper feeding but is easy to avoid once couples test before marriage. However, the organization was only able to run 20 tests on the day.

Edgar Ngonzi, a volunteer with Sarafina sickle cell society says that much as kits are expensive, people should sacrifice to test and avoid giving birth to children with sickle cell disease.

Sarah Nakato who gave birth to a child with sickle cell disease appeals to the government to provide free testing kits to all government hospitals to save many youths intending to start marriage from giving birth to children with sickle cell disease.

The international awareness day is observed annually with the goal to increase public knowledge and an understanding of sickle cell disease and the challenges experienced by patients and their families and caregivers.

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