The Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO) consisting of a hub (Tanzania) and collaborative consortium sites in Ghana and Nigeria is one of the major research projects being hosted at the Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research (CESRTA). It is a four year project which started in May 2017. The objectives of SPARCO are:

1. To develop an ethically and legally approved, patient consented, centralized, secure, web-based database of 13,000  paediatric and adult sickle cell patients for health services and research with distribution as follows: 6000 in Nigeria, 4000 in Tanzania and 3000 in Ghana.
2. To develop, implement and evaluate a resource-based, multi-level, “Guidelines for Management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)”, in order to standardize the care of individuals with SCD.
3. To organize short, medium and long-term training programs to strengthen skills in SCD health services and research.
4. To develop plans for future research by establishing SCD cohorts in SSA in order to create a platform to conduct SCD-related epidemiologic, translational and clinical research.

In line with these objectives, over 1,300 paediatrics and adult sickle cell disease patients across Nigeria have been enrolled so far. SPARCO staff and health workers involved in the management of SCD have attended several training workshops on multidisciplinary management of SCD, SCD research as well as Data management and Genetic counselling organized both within and outside Nigeria. In addition, concept documents are being developed in the major research areas identified by the consortium.

Key personnel SPARCO Nigeria Site

Site Co-PI

• Professor O.E. Nnodu

Research Working Group

• Professor S. Asala (Site Lead)
• Dr B. Biobele
• Dr A. Madu
• Dr E. Okocha

Skill Development working group

• Dr M. Nwegbu

Standards of Care and Nigeria Site Co-ordinator

• Dr A. H. Isa

Data Working Group

• Professor Nash Oyekanmi (Coordinator)
• Professor Olumide Owolabi (Director, Computer Centre, UniAbuja)
• Mr Reuben Chianumba (Data Entry Clerk)
• Mr Isaac Olanrewaju (M.Sc Student)

Paediatric Sickle Cell Programme University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada

• Professor Uche Nnebe-Agumadu (Head, Paediatric Sickle Cell Programme)
• Dr Adebayo I. Adoga 
• Nurse James- Nurse Coordinator, Paediatric Sickle Cell Clinic, POPD, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja

Clinic Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays (Transition Clinic)

Time: 8.00 a.m

Contact Phone: +2348065351905

Adult Sickle Cell Programme University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada

• Professor Obiageli E. Nnodu
• Dr Hezekiah Isa
• Dr Yohanna Tanko
• Dr Theresa Otu
• Dr Ejike Uchenna
• Dr Sunday Atodo
• Dr Atinuke Ibrahim
• Chinwe Livina- Chief Nursing Officer, Adult Sickle Cell Clinic, MOPD
• Ruth Bako- Chief Nursing Officer, Adult Sickle Cell Clinic, MOPD

Clinic Days: Wednesdays

Time: 11.00 a.m    

Contact Phone: +2347036525145

Outreach Programmes

Gwagwalada Town Clinic **

• Dr Adeyemi Adeniran
• Dr Douglas Nkemdilim

Dagiri Comprehensive Health Centre**    

SPARCO Collaborating Centres