Enhanced Vaccines for Sickle Cell Kids in Nigeria

Imagine welcoming a newborn into your family, unaware that a simple test costing just $3.60 could determine whether that child has sickle cell disease—a condition that can become life-threatening within the first few years of life if left undiagnosed.

For thousands of families in rural Nigeria, this is reality.

Nigeria carries the world's highest burden of sickle cell disease, with approximately 150,000 babies born with the condition every year. Globally, more than 515,000 babies were born with sickle cell disease in 2021, with nearly 80% of these births occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet many children never receive an early diagnosis or the enhanced vaccines that protect them from deadly infections.

The tragedy is that many of these deaths are preventable.

Through GoGreen's Enhanced Vaccines for Sickle Cell Kids in Nigeria Project, we will provide newborn genotype screening and fully fund enhanced vaccines for babies diagnosed with sickle cell disease in underserved communities across Nasarawa State.

Your support is more than a donation—it is an investment in survival.

It means a newborn can be diagnosed before complications begin.

It means parents receive hope instead of uncertainty.

It means children are protected against life-threatening infections before they become emergencies.

It means fewer hospital admissions, fewer avoidable deaths, and healthier futures for some of Nigeria's most vulnerable children.

A small act of generosity today can change the entire course of a child's life.

Together, we can ensure that where a child is born does not determine whether they live.

Join us in giving every child with sickle cell disease the healthy start they deserve.

Every child deserves a healthy start in life, yet for thousands of babies born with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Nigeria, that opportunity is often lost before their first birthday.

GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives is preparing to launch a 12-month pilot project across Keffi, Karu, and Toto Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State to provide newborn genotype screening and enhanced vaccines for infants diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

Preparatory activities are currently underway, including stakeholder engagement with healthcare providers, identification of partner laboratories, community sensitization planning, and the development of referral pathways to ensure babies diagnosed with SCD receive timely care.

The need is urgent. Nigeria records an estimated 150,000 babies born with sickle cell disease every year—the highest number in the world. Without early diagnosis and appropriate preventive care, studies estimate that 50–90% of affected children in sub-Saharan Africa may die before the age of five, often from preventable infections and complications. Early newborn screening, timely vaccination, and appropriate follow-up care can dramatically improve survival and quality of life.

With donor support, this project will remove financial barriers by funding genotype testing and enhanced vaccines for vulnerable newborns, giving children the chance to survive, grow, and thrive.