Nairobi County to scale up sickle cell screening in health centres

The initiative aims to reduce long distance travel to national referral hospitals by embedding rapid diagnostic kits, newborn testing and specialised clinics

Officials from the Nairobi City County Government’s Health, Wellness and Nutrition Sector.

The Nairobi City County Government’s Health, Wellness and Nutrition Sector has partnered with global health technology firm OraSure Technologies to scale up decentralised sickle cell disease (SCD) testing and treatment.

Speaking during a facility tour, County Head of Division for Non-Communicable Diseases Dr Victor Kibe said decentralising specialised care is critical to improving patient survival and easing the financial burden on families.

“Bringing screening and treatment services closer to communities eases the financial and physical burden on families, enabling early intervention without requiring long-distance travel to national facilities,” Kibe said.

Source: The Star