Through the Securing Health, Empowering Lives project, Tanzania Sicklecell Warriors Organization (TASIWA) in collaboration with Baylor Tanzania, supported more than 450 children living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Ilemela and Nyamagana districts, Mwanza Region, by improving access to healthcare and strengthening family resilience. The project facilitated access to National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) coverage, beginning with support for obtaining birth certificates, which are essential for the insurance application process.
Beyond health insurance, the project provided entrepreneurship education and supported the formation of economic groups for more than 400 parents and caregivers. These initiatives aimed to strengthen families’ financial capacity and help them sustain their children’s health insurance coverage beyond the project period. Parents and caregivers welcomed the support, noting that it would ease the financial burden of treatment. They also called on communities to reject stigma and harmful misconceptions about Sickle Cell Disease and to ensure that children receive appropriate medical care. By addressing barriers to healthcare access while strengthening families’ economic resilience, TASIWA is helping children living with SCD move towards more consistent healthcare, improved well-being, and a better quality of life.
