Kenya to Roll Out Mandatory Sickle Cell Screening in Maternal and Child Health Services

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Kenya to Roll Out Mandatory Sickle Cell Screening in Maternal and Child Health Services

The government has announced a major policy change that will make sickle cell disease screening mandatory during maternal and child health visits.

Kenya will make sickle cell disease (SCD) screening compulsory as part of routine maternal and child health services, in a national drive to tackle the country’s high burden of the inherited condition.

This was announced in New York by Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga who represented President William Ruto at the high-level forum on sickle cell disease during the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

Dr. Oluga emphasized the need for urgent action, saying the disease is a silent killer in Africa. He revealed that 14,000 Kenyan babies are born with sickle cell disease every year, and 90% of them die before they are 5 years old.

“Mandatory screening will not leave any child behind,” he said, reiterating the government’s commitment to early diagnosis and lifesaving care.

Kenya has already laid the groundwork for tackling SCD with frameworks such as the National Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Sickle Cell Disease (2021) and the Policy Guidelines for Infant Screening (2023). These have standardized early detection practices across the country’s health facilities.

To reduce the cost of treatment, the government has also established three new health funds — the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund. According to Dr. Oluga, these funds will ensure patients can access continuous care without financial strain.

The New York meeting, organized by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), brought together ministers, policymakers and health experts who pledged to scale up efforts against the disease across the continent.

Sickle cell disease, one of Africa’s most common genetic disorders, changes the shape of red blood cells into rigid crescents that block circulation. This leads to severe pain, frequent infections, organ complications and early death if not treated.

Experts say while premarital and infant screening are key, stigma, low awareness and poor access to diagnostic services are still major hurdles.

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Kenya to Roll Out Mandatory Sickle Cell Screening in Maternal and Child Health Services