Kenya is poised to benefit from a new international initiative aimed at strengthening screening and care for sickle cell disease, following a strategic partnership between Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

The collaboration will support the Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa (CONSA) through a dedicated Community Health Worker (CHW) initiative. The program seeks to improve early diagnosis and long-term care for children born with the genetic blood disorder, particularly in underserved regions.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, approximately 14,000 Kenyan children are born with sickle cell disease (SCD) each year, with the highest prevalence reported in the western, Nyanza, and coastal regions. However, delayed diagnosis and limited access to proper treatment have contributed to high childhood mortality rates estimated between 50 and 90 percent among affected children.

The initiative will train community health workers to support early diagnosis, educate caregivers, coordinate treatment, and retain patients in long-term care especially in remote areas. The goal is to reduce health disparities and help children with SCD lead healthier, longer lives.

Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest global burden of SCD, accounting for over 75 percent of all annual births with the condition. Since its launch in 2018, the CONSA program has screened more than 140,000 newborns across the region. However, maintaining consistent follow-up care after diagnosis remains a critical gap, compounded by stigma, lack of disease awareness, and poor access to specialized facilities.

With this renewed partnership, CONSA aims to collaborate with governments in Kenya and six other countries Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia over the next three years. Each of the 11 CONSA catchment areas will engage five community health workers and receive annual funding to scale local interventions.

Novo Nordisk is also partnering with reach52, a social enterprise with a vast network of digital health workers. Together, they will roll out targeted awareness campaigns in Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Siaya counties, encouraging early health-seeking behavior and reducing stigma surrounding SCD.

Dr. Belinda Avalos, President of ASH, emphasized the need for community-level interventions:

“Too many children and families in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to critical sickle cell care. This initiative builds on our newborn screening work to ensure children not only get diagnosed but also consistently receive the care they need through trusted health professionals.”

Cross-country collaboration will be further strengthened through annual Nurse Coordinator and CHW summits, aimed at sharing best practices and elevating standards of care continent-wide.

Novo Nordisk’s General Manager for Middle Africa, Vinay Ransiwal, reiterated the company’s long-term commitment to addressing health inequities through its iCARE strategy.

“With over half a million babies born with SCD in Africa each year and limited primary healthcare capacity, empowering nurses and community health workers is crucial,” he said.

“We’re committed to building strong local partnerships and improving access to comprehensive care, while continuing to innovate new treatments.”

The partnerships with CONSA and reach52 are part of Novo Nordisk’s broader efforts to strengthen health systems, raise awareness, and transform outcomes for families living with sickle cell disease across the continent.