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Inside Health News Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire

WHO Calls for Scale-Up of Newborn Screening in Africa; Cites Uganda's Sickle Cell Programme as Model

GENEVA / KAMPALA, 23 June 2026

The World Health Organization released a new technical report on 23 June calling on all countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, to expand newborn screening for birth defects as a critical and underinvested opportunity to accelerate progress in child survival and reduce lifelong disability. The report, titled Strengthening capacity for newborn screening, diagnosis and management of birth defects, identifies conditions that can be successfully treated when identified early after birth, including sickle cell disease, congenital hypothyroidism, hearing impairment, and certain metabolic disorders.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that no child should miss the chance for a healthy future because a congenital condition was not detected early enough, and that countries around the world are demonstrating that newborn screening can save lives, prevent disability, and give every newborn the best opportunity to fulfil her or his potential.

The report carries particular resonance for East Africa. An estimated 8 million babies are born globally each year with a birth defect, and 90 percent of affected children live in low- and middle-income countries where access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment remains limited. Sickle cell disease is among the highest-burden conditions across the East African region. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for over 75 percent of the global sickle cell disease burden. Birth defects now account for almost 8 percent of all deaths among children under five worldwide.

The report specifically highlights Uganda as a model for the region, citing a state-led programme for sickle cell disease in high-burden areas that identifies affected infants early and provides them with lifesaving treatment and long-term follow-up care. WHO is urging governments to integrate newborn screening, diagnosis, and treatment into routine health services and universal health coverage frameworks, beginning with conditions that are country priorities and can be effectively detected and feasibly managed within their health systems. The report was developed through a global WHO consultation bringing together government representatives, technical experts, and civil society organisations.

Source: WHO report, Strengthening capacity for newborn screening, diagnosis and management of birth defects, June 2026. Cross-referenced: New Business Ethiopia, 23 June 2026.