NAIROBI, Kenya / KAMPALA, Uganda, June 19, 2026
African health leaders, government officials, clinicians, patient advocates, and international partners have launched the Imara Sickle Cell Framework, a landmark initiative designed to strengthen and coordinate sickle cell disease (SCD) care across Africa. The framework aims to help countries transform policy commitments into practical healthcare delivery systems that improve diagnosis, treatment, referral pathways, follow-up services, and lifelong disease management. As Africa continues to carry nearly 80% of the global burden of sickle cell disease, the initiative seeks to address persistent challenges including fragmented care, delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment access, and inconsistent patient follow-up. The launch marks a significant step toward improving healthcare outcomes for hundreds of thousands of children and adults affected by one of the continent’s most pressing inherited blood disorders. By focusing on healthcare implementation rather than policy creation alone, the Imara Framework is expected to strengthen national health systems and improve continuity of care for patients living with sickle cell disease.
Coordinated Care Model Targets Critical Gaps in Patient Management
Sickle cell disease remains a major public health challenge throughout Africa, where large numbers of children are born with the condition every year. Although awareness, newborn screening programs, and treatment availability have improved in many countries, healthcare delivery often remains fragmented. Patients frequently encounter delays between diagnosis and treatment, limited access to specialized care, and inconsistent long-term disease management. The Imara Sickle Cell Framework was developed specifically to address these gaps by creating a practical roadmap that connects every stage of the patient journey.
The initiative focuses on integrating screening, diagnosis, treatment, referral networks, follow-up care, blood services, and management of long-term complications into a unified healthcare pathway. Rather than duplicating existing regional and global efforts, the framework provides governments and healthcare partners with a structured implementation model designed to strengthen healthcare delivery within existing national systems while supporting local priorities and healthcare infrastructure.
Initial Implementation Begins in Three African Nations
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The first phase of the Imara Framework is being implemented in Uganda, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire, where health authorities and partners will adapt the framework to local healthcare needs while maintaining a shared focus on improving patient outcomes. The initiative is organized around 10 priority intervention areas spanning primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings. These intervention areas are intended to help governments identify service gaps, improve coordination among stakeholders, align resources, and build stronger healthcare networks capable of delivering comprehensive sickle cell care. Leaders from Kenya and Uganda emphasized that effective disease management requires much more than early diagnosis.
Patients need consistent access to treatment, safe blood supplies, routine monitoring, specialist care, and community-based support services throughout their lives. By creating stronger links between these services, the framework aims to reduce preventable complications, improve survival rates, and enhance quality of life for patients and families affected by sickle cell disease.
Regional Collaboration Supports Long-Term Health System Strengthening
The Imara Framework aligns closely with broader healthcare priorities established by African governments, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the World Health Organization. The initiative brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including ministries of health, healthcare providers, patient organizations, blood services, implementation partners, and advocacy groups committed to advancing sickle cell disease care. Supporters believe the framework can help reduce fragmentation across healthcare systems while encouraging greater political commitment, resource allocation, and sustainable investment in sickle cell disease programs.
As healthcare leaders increasingly recognize sickle cell disease as a major public health priority, the framework provides a practical mechanism for translating policy goals into measurable healthcare improvements. By strengthening coordination across the full continuum of care, the Imara Sickle Cell Framework has the potential to improve survival, reduce complications, and create a more sustainable future for millions of individuals living with sickle cell disease across Africa.
Source: Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies press release
