Community Inclusion for Awareness

Ensuring the community receives correct and useful education about Sickle Cell Disease from qualified providers such as CHWs, nurses, trained providers, and empowered local leaders. As well as reaching the communities through creation of SCD Ambassadors to communicate using their experience living with sickle cell and Establishing communication materials designed for individual, families. Youth, parents and leaders/decision makers.

• Creation of SCD Ambassadors to communicate with communities.
• Communication designed for:

Early Diagnosis
through Newborn Screening

Newborn screening for SCD & Rare Disorders at primary healthcare facilities (PHC) provides an opportunity for early diagnosis which is key to saving newborn lives. Our aim is to achieve above 85% of diagnosed babies linked to care at primary healthcare or any facilities in their vicinity for SCD care which includes starting prophylaxis or Hydroxyurea. The screening includes Newborn and under 5 babies presenting SCD symptoms.

• Target: screen 85% of all newborns in implementation regions.
• Diagnosed babies start prophylaxis and are enrolled into SCD clinics for Hydroxyurea.
• Screening includes symptomatic under-5s visiting hospitals, plus those reached through outreach services.

Referral, Linkage to Care & Patient Follow-up

The SickleCare project maps primary healthcare facilities qualified to provide SCD services, bringing care closer to affected communities and reducing the burden of distant travel through.

Advocacy & Partnership Strategy

Melian Foundation works with diverse partners to implement newborn screening programs across Tanzania, building a sustainable ecosystem for SCD care. Our partners includes;

Working together for sustainable, accessible SCD care.