From left to right, the USCRF ED Mr. Odour Daniel, Corporate affairs manager Roofings Group, Mr. Stuart Mwesigwa and the Brand Manager Roofings Group Mr. Edwin Abaasa pause for a photo at the launch.
Roofings group, the largest manufacturer of steel products in Uganda, on Friday 5th August 2022, together with the Director of Public Health, Dr Daniel Kyabayinze on behalf of the Minister of Health launched a country-wide sickle cell awareness.
The campaign dubbed ‘Shine the Light on Sickle Cell’ was launched at the Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality headquarters in the presence of the Municipal Mayor Ssemwanga Godfrey, councilors, and community members.
Hundreds of community members received free screening and training. The project is being implemented by the Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation, an NGO that has partnered with Roofings Group for over 07 years.
The campaign aims at reaching over 2 million people with information about sickle cell. Free screening services will be provided to over 4,000 people (estimated value of UGX 160,000,000 worth of testing), and over 10,000 people will be trained on homecare of sickle cell patients. These free services will be offered to select communities in Mbarara, Bundibugyo, Gulu, Mbale, and Busia Districts.
Please know your status before having children. If you are a carrier, you are advised not to marry a carrier. Sickle cell disease is painful and expensive to manage.
Besides health, Roofings group is involved in other CSR initiatives like regreening Uganda by providing free tree seedlings. In partnership with Stanbic Bank, Roofings is providing fruit tree seedlings to plant in schools worth UGX 420,000,000 in 2022 alone. Roofings is also investing in wheelchair manufacturing to donate wheelchairs to differently-abled children, Roofings also donates oxygen cylinders free of charge to government hospitals as well as some private hospitals. More than 43,000 oxygen cylinders have been donated since the start of the covid pandemic.
