The University of Abuja, along with some international partners, has secured over £5 million to support sickle cell research in sub-Saharan Africa.
Professor Obiageli Nnodu, who heads the university’s Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Research and Training, announced this during a workshop held in Abuja. She said the grant would help build local capacity for research and improve patient care.
The project, known as PACTS, is a partnership between institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, the UK, and the US. It is jointly led by Prof. Nnodu and Prof. Imelda Bates of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Prof. Bates said the project focuses on patient-centred research and aims to find practical solutions to the challenges faced by families affected by the disease. She noted that Nigeria has the highest number of people living with sickle cell globally, making it a key location for the study.
Some of the challenges identified so far include the high cost of treatment, long waiting times at health centres, and reliance on traditional medicine due to lack of access to proper care.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Patricia Lar, said the university is committed to using research to find lasting solutions to sickle cell disease.
