Amolatar District has received a sickle cell test machine donated by the Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Foundation, valued at Shs15 million.
The Hemoglobin Electrophoresis machine was officially handed over on Wednesday at Amolatar Health Centre IV.
While receiving the donation, the District Principal Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, Mrs. Acio Susan Eyura, applauded the foundation for supporting the fight against sickle cell disease in the district.
Acio pledged the district’s full support in maintaining the machine to ensure it serves its intended purpose. She also urged members of the public to abandon the misconception that sickle cell disease is linked to witchcraft and instead seek testing and medical care at health facilities.
She further called upon cultural, religious, and community leaders to encourage young people planning to marry to undergo sickle cell testing as a preventive measure against the spread of the disease.
The District Health Officer, Dr. Jimmy Odongo, said the district previously faced challenges in sickle cell testing, as samples had to be sent to Kampala, a process that sometimes took over two months.
He noted that with the new machine, results will now be available within a day.
Dr. Odongo revealed that the district is currently managing 659 sickle cell patients and said the availability of the machine at Amolatar Health Centre IV will enable more testing and help reduce the disease burden.
He also urged the community to embrace early testing to prevent the birth of children with sickle cell disease.
The Executive Director of Catherine Phil Sickle Cell Foundation, Mr. Daniel Roy Odur, said the donation follows a public resource mobilization campaign launched in 2024.
He noted that Amolatar Health Centre IV is the fourth facility to receive a sickle cell test machine from the foundation, after Alebtong Health Centre IV, Lira Regional Referral Hospital, and Apac General Hospital.
Mr. Odur advised parents of children living with sickle cell disease to seek proper medical care instead of relying solely on prayers.
He also warned against the use of herbal medicine, saying it poses serious health risks to patients.
He added that, beyond facility-based testing, the foundation encourages community outreach programs to raise awareness and expand testing at the grassroots level.
Mr. Odur said the foundation plans to continue mobilizing resources to procure sickle cell test machines for health facilities in Kwania, Kole, and Oyam districts to further combat the disease, which remains a major health burden in the region.
