The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has called for nationwide sickle cell testing, urging Ugandans to make screening a priority before choosing life partners.
The appeal was made on Sunday during the Sickle Cell Run 2025 that kicked off from Pharmacy House, Kyambogo.
Flagging off the run, Dr. Hope Fortune Achiro, a pharmacist and Chief Runner, said Uganda has the potential to eradicate the disease within a generation if awareness and early testing are embraced.
“We can make sure that in the next 10 years, or 20 if we are not serious, no single child is born with sickle cell. It’s entirely possible,” Dr. Achiro said, rallying Ugandans under her campaign slogan, ‘Test Before You Love.’
Dr. Achiro, who lost two daughters to sickle cell, described the fight as “a battle we can actually win” if stigma, ignorance, and reliance on non-scientific remedies are replaced with testing and preventive care.
Despite being a medical professional, she admitted she had not tested her partner before marriage, saying ignorance about the disease cuts across all social classes, including health workers.
She urged families to test children as early as nursery or primary school, stressing that testing is widely available and often free.
Dr. Achiro also highlighted the high cost of treatment compared to prevention, revealing that she spent nearly Shs800 million in unsuccessful attempts to save her daughters, while preventive options such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) for carrier couples cost about Shs40 million.
“This fight is cheaper than HIV, it’s cheaper than malaria. We just need to empower people,” she said.
Uganda remains among the countries worst affected by sickle cell disease, with the Ministry of Health estimating that 15,000 children are born with the condition each year and up to 80 percent die before age five if untreated.
Dr. Stephen Lutoti, Secretary of PSU, said the run was held under the theme “Amplifying Community Voices Against Sickle Cell Disease in Uganda.”
“This alignment provides an opportunity to rally the community around two vital health issues — increasing public awareness of sickle cell disease and promoting the critical role of pharmacists in healthcare delivery,” Dr. Lutoti said.
He added that the initiative goes beyond sport, serving as a platform for collective action.
“We call upon the public, policymakers, healthcare professionals, schools, religious institutions, and corporate partners to participate in this run and stand in solidarity with individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease,” he said.
Organizers said the event sought to spotlight the role of pharmacists in improving healthcare while giving hope to thousands of families affected by sickle cell disease.
