Sickle-cell disease in DRC 500,000 rapid screening tests deployed

31/10/2024

The DRC’s Ministry of Health and its partners are boosting the fight against sickle-cell disease through a multi-country collaboration and tangible actions to bolster screening and care.

The fight against sickle-cell disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reached a significant turning point at the end of September. At the official launch ceremony for the multi-country seminar, Drep.ACCI, organized by the Fondation Pierre Fabre, the DRC’s Ministry of Health announced that the government had purchased 500,000 rapid screening tests for sickle-cell disease. This constitutes a strong public-health commitment for the country.

Representatives from numerous ministries, alongside technical and financial healthcare partners, were in attendance at this major event to take stock of the progress that has been made in the fight against the disease and to reinforce regional cooperation. During the event, Dr. Sylvain Yuma, the DRC’s Secretary General for Health, reiterated the country’s determination to fully integrate sickle-cell disease into its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy, thereby demonstrating the importance it attaches to diagnosing and treating this hereditary disease that affects millions of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa.

The 500,000 rapid screening tests provided by the government of the DRC will be distributed in 14 Provincial Health Divisions, covering a total of 45 health districts in selected regions identified as having a high prevalence of the disease. The supply of these rapid screening tests now comes under the national health policy and will facilitate early diagnosis of sickle-cell disease in remote regions with limited resources.

The Drep.ACCI seminar also brought together the partners involved in implementing the project from the four participating countries: DRC, the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast and Cameroon. These states now have national strategic plans in place to fight sickle-cell disease and are accelerating their efforts to improve screening and care. Together, they aim to build a future in which sickle-cell disease is better managed and treated, by actively contributing to the fight against the disease.

The program is cofinanced by the Fondation Pierre Fabre and the AFD.

Reports from the DRC’s national broadcaster: