Sharifu Kiragga Tusuubira

Sharifu Kiragga Tusuubira (born January 4, 1991) is one of Uganda's leading sickle cell advocates.[1] He is best recognized for his role in starting community sickle cell screening. An initiative that enables people to take the sickle cell screening test and receive results instantly from the confines of their villages.

Sharifu Kiragga Tusuubira
BornJanuary 4, 1991 (1991-01-04) (age 29)
Kampala, Uganda
NationalityUgandan
OccupationBiomedical scientist
Known forSickle cell advocacy
AwardsInternational Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year (2020) ; Most Outstanding Community Outreach Award (2018)

Biography

Sharifu was born on January 4, 1991, in Kampala to Ashadu Zizinga, a health inspector and Ritah Bazanya, a police officer. Sharifu received his bachelor's degree in biomedical laboratory technology from Makerere University in 2012. He later went on to graduate with a master's degree in biomedical laboratory science and management from the same university. In 2017, he attended the Civic Leadership Institute at Kansas State University.[2][3] He was the first Executive Director of the Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation (USCRF) a non-profit organization working to promote awareness, sensitization and fighting Sickle Cell Disease in Uganda (a position he held until July 2019).[4] He is a doctoral fellow at the University of Kansas.[5]

Sickle cell advocacy

Sharifu Kiragga Tusuubira is a strong proponent for and an advocate of sickle cell and disability rights in Uganda. His advocacy started while at Makerere University, following a moment of personal heartbreak wherein a lady he was in love with rejected him because of sickle cell. This motivated Sharifu to get involved and change the status quo of how the sickle cell was viewed.[6]

For over eight years, Sharifu has advocated for people living with sickle cell disease to have rights to independent thinking, participate freely in community activities or further Agency and enjoy the same privileges as the ‘normal’ people in Uganda.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

Living with sickle cell, Sharifu provides a firsthand narrative through his lived experiences to address issues of care, behavior, stigma, and discrimination among persons with sickle cell in different locales. Sharifu reached over 60,150 people, set up 18 support networks and registered 20,153 across the Uganda.[13]

Across the region, Sharifu has played a key role in supporting sickle cell advocacy.[14][15] Sharifu was instrumental in the launch of the East Africa Sickle Cell Alliance. He worked with the Pan African Sickle Cell Federation International to support grassroots initiatives and build membership across East and Central Africa.[16] Sharifu is a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow.[17] He is also a 2018 Telemachus Fellow under the Global Thinkers Forum (UK)[18].

Career

Sharifu's career started in 2009 at Makerere University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resource and Biosecurity where he worked as a research assistant until 2010. He then moved on to work as a Biomedical laboratory technologist in the same university and department from 2010–2012.

In 2012, he worked at the Central Public health laboratory, Ministry of Health. In 2013, he took on the role of Executive Director for the Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation, Kampala. In the same year, he also took on the role of assistant professor at the Institute of Allied Health Sciences at Clarke International University, Kampala.

Awards

Sharifu is a recipient of the 2018 Clarke International University Most Outstanding community outreach award. Sharifu is the recipient of the International Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year (2020) award.[19][20]

References
  1. Uganda young leaders-US Embassy, Kampala. "Speaker of Parliament, Uganda and US Ambassador to Uganda flag off, Mandela Fellows" June 15, 2017,
  2. , Staley School of Leadership Studies "Staley School of Leadership Studies to host Mandela Washington Fellows" June 13, 2017,
  3. Mandela Washington Fellows: 2017 Civic Leadership Institute October 12, 2017,
  4. The International Research & Exchanges Board "Sharifu Kiragga Tusuubira" March 2017
  5. "Sharifu Kiragga Tusuubira". Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. 2019-04-29. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  6. The Sickle Cell Warrior Diary "The journey of HOPE from Wandegeya to America" September 27, 2019,
  7. Young African Leaders Initiative "YALI Voices Podcast: Sharifu Tusuubira champions the cause of those living with sickle cell disease" December 2018,
  8. The Daily Monitor "Hope for Sickle Cell patients" July 7, 2016,
  9. The Daily Monitor "Medical Options for people living with sickle cell" August 14, 2014,
  10. Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation "My burden is my purpose" September 4, 2017,
  11. Biomedical Central Public health "Knowledge, perception and practices towards sickle cell disease" April 27, 2018,
  12. Adolescent health medicine and therapeutics "To Join Or Not To Join? A Case Of Sickle Cell Clubs, Stigma And Discrimination In Secondary Schools In Butambala District, Uganda" October 2, 2019,
  13. Global Thinkers Forum "Leaders of Tomorrow - Sharifu Tusuubira" October 2018
  14. Betty Amamukirori "Businessmen contribute sh50m towards sickle cell fight" New Vision Uganda 8th May 2016
  15. John Muto-Ono P "Uganda moves to fight sickle cell disease" Blackstar news, Uganda June 21st, 2016
  16. Gilmore Tee Show. Cliff Central. South Africa "World Sickle Cell Day" 22 Jun 2018
  17. https://www.mandelawashingtonfellowship.org
  18. "Sharifu Tusuubira". Mentoring. Inspiring. Empowering. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  19. "SCAY Awards | Sickle Cell 101". Sickle Cell 101 9/19. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  20. "2020 SCAY Awards | Sickle Cell 101". Sickle Cell 101 9/19. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
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