Uganda has taken a major step towards treating sickle cell disease and other complex blood disorders with the launch of a national campaign to raise more than Shs15 billion for the country’s first bone marrow transplant centre.
The facility will be built at the Joint Clinical Research Centre headquarters in Lubowa, a move expected to transform care for thousands of patients who currently have no access to curative treatment within the country.
Health officials say Uganda records about 20,000 babies born with sickle cell disease every year, and nearly 80 percent die before their fifth birthday because specialised care is limited.
Although the disease has long been managed as a lifelong condition, doctors now say bone marrow transplantation offers a real chance of a cure.
At present, patients who need the procedure must travel abroad, where treatment costs range between 300,000 and 500,000 US dollars — far beyond what most families can afford.
Launching the appeal, JCRC Executive Director Cissy Kityo urged the public, companies and development partners to support the project, saying the centre will save lives and reduce the heavy financial burden on affected households.
She added that the facility will not only treat sickle cell disease but also other serious blood disorders and cancers, positioning Uganda as a regional hub for advanced haematology and transplant services.
Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said the growing demand for specialised treatment makes the project urgent. She noted that the government is working to expand tertiary healthcare services to cut down on costly referrals abroad that drain both family incomes and national resources.
Science and Technology Minister Monica Musenero pledged support to help mobilise funding and ensure the centre meets international medical standards through research and innovation.
The initiative also received backing from Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo, who described the planned facility as a landmark investment that will benefit not only Uganda but the wider African region.
Once completed, the centre is expected to reduce the need for medical travel abroad, build local expertise in transplant medicine and provide new training opportunities for Ugandan health professionals.
