Lomé
National SCD Research and Treatment Center (CNRSD), serving as the flagship site.
In partnership with the National SCD Research and Treatment Center (CNRSD) in Lomé, Sickle Forward is scaling up newborn screening for Sickle Cell Disease across all regions of Togo — ensuring every child has access to early diagnosis and life-saving care.
Launched in February 2024, the Togo newborn screening demonstration project is a flagship initiative addressing Sickle Cell Disease through comprehensive screening, confirmatory testing, and linkage to life-saving care.
Working with clinical leaders from CNRSD and the Ministry of Health, Sickle Forward is building a sustainable, scalable model for Sickle Cell Disease diagnosis across Togo.
Sickle Forward's work in Togo is anchored through the National SCD Research and Treatment Center (CNRSD) in Lomé.
The programme also works with clinical leaders and the Ministry of Health to build a sustainable approach to newborn screening, confirmatory testing, and linkage to care.
Our work spans 10 hospital sites covering all regions of Togo, bringing screening and care closer to communities.
National SCD Research and Treatment Center (CNRSD), serving as the flagship site.
Serving communities across the southern coastal region.
Expanding newborn screening across the central highlands.
Regional referral sites serving communities in the northern savannah.
Extending screening and care to the northernmost communities.
Reaching families in the heart of Togo through regional screening services.
The programme also works through additional regional referral sites across all five regions of Togo.
Sickle Forward is deploying diagnostic tools and scaling up screening across Togo to help ensure children have access to early diagnosis.
HemotypeSC is used as the initial newborn screening step at each clinical site, while the Gazelle miniaturized electrophoresis platform serves as the confirmatory step at multiple regional sites.
In 2025, more than 150,000 infants were screened across Sickle Forward's network, with over 2,500 children diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease and linked to life-saving care.
Sickle Cell Disease is a major public health challenge in Togo, affecting thousands of children and families across the country.
Approximately 2% of Togolese have the severe form of Sickle Cell Disease, while 13% are carriers of the gene, representing 15% of the population affected.
Early diagnosis through newborn screening is the first step in combating childhood mortality. Once identified, children can be started on low-cost, highly effective treatments including hydroxyurea, antibiotics, and regular follow-up care.
The Togo programme combines screening, confirmation and linkage to care to create a complete pathway from early diagnosis to treatment.
Use newborn screening to identify Sickle Cell Disease as early as possible.
Use confirmatory diagnostic platforms to establish accurate results and support clinical decision-making.
Link children and families to appropriate treatment, follow-up and ongoing care.
Your support helps expand screening services, deliver diagnostic tools, strengthen healthcare systems, and connect children to life-saving care across Togo.
