info@capsci-uganda.org
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0392 150047

Understanding Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a serious inherited blood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It mainly impacts red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. Normally, these cells are round and flexible, allowing them to move smoothly through blood vessels. However, in people with sickle cell disease, the red blood cells take on a rigid, crescent (or sickle) shape. These abnormally shaped cells can clump together, block blood flow, and break down easily, leading to severe health problems.

About Us

Our Mission

Raising awareness, provide education, support research efforts, improve access to healthcare services, and advocate for policies that enhance the quality of life for individuals living with sickle cell disease on the continent. This mission encompasses a holistic approach that addresses various aspects of the disease, including medical care, social support, community engagement, and public health interventions.

Our Vision

To create a future where individuals affected by the condition can live healthy and fulfilling lives. This vision includes reducing the burden of sickle cell disease through early detection, comprehensive care management, genetic counseling, and advancements in treatment options. Additionally, the vision aims to promote a supportive environment that empowers individuals with sickle cell disease to thrive and contribute positively to society.

Our Motto

Empowering a comprehensive response to sickle cell disease in Africa, through awareness creation, education dissemination, research facilitation, healthcare access enhancement, policy advocacy, and holistic support, encompassing medical care, social support, community engagement, and public health interventions, to improve the quality of life for individuals affected.

Our Services

Counseling

We provide genetic counseling, testing services, prenatal diagnosis, and family counseling.

Clinical Services

We provide medical care for individuals with SCD, including consultations and treatment.

Outreaches

We conduct community outreach programs to educate about SCD in Uganda.

Advocacy

We advocate for policy changes to improve the rights of individuals with SCD.

Capacity Building

We collaborate with healthcare providers to improve SCD management.

Research

We conduct research on various aspects of SCD to generate evidence-based interventions and inform policy decisions. We collaborate with local and international partners to help advance SCD pathophysiology.

Statistics

Counseling

Clinical Services

Outreaches

Research

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ Image

Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's tissues. It causes red blood cells to be sickle-shaped, rigid, and prone to clotting, leading to various complications.

Symptoms include:
- Anemia (fatigue, pale skin)
- Episodes of pain (sickle cell crisis)
- Frequent infections
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Delayed growth and development
- Increased risk of stroke and organ damage

Sickle cell disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning:
- A person inherits two copies of the sickle cell gene (one from each parent)
- Carriers with one copy of the gene are generally healthy but can pass it to their children
- If both parents are carriers, there's a 25% chance of having a child with sickle cell disease

Currently, there is no cure for sickle cell disease, but:
- Bone marrow transplants have shown promise
- Gene therapy research is ongoing
- Management and treatment focus on relieving symptoms, preventing complications, and improving quality of life

Management includes:
- Regular medical care and monitoring
- Pain management and crisis prevention
- Antibiotics for infections
- Blood transfusions
- Hydroxyurea therapy to reduce sickling
- Lifestyle modifications (staying hydrated, avoiding stress)

Geneticists use the terms dominant and recessive to describe the likelihood of a particular trait being passed on to the next generation. You have two copies of each of your genes, one from your mother and another from your father. Each copy of a gene is called an allele. Dominant alleles usually override recessive alleles. The sickle cell anemia trait is found on a recessive allele of the hemoglobin gene, which means you must have two copies of the recessive allele to have the condition.

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