Biography
Dr. Sharifu K. Tusuubira, Ph.D. is best known for starting the community sickle cell screening program in Uganda. An initiative that enables people to take the sickle cell screening test and receive results instantly from the confines of their villages. For over 10 years, Sharifu has been promoting sickle cell awareness and advocacy across the globe particularly in Uganda and USA. He is a co-founder of Sickle Cell Network Uganda and the Pan African Sickle Cell Federation. He served as the first Executive Director of the Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation where he created the first sickle cell counselor training program. He is a board member at the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest.
Dr. Tusuubira’s work has not gone unnoticed. He has been honored as one of the “100 Leaders of Impact” by the Global Thinkers Forum and received the “International Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year 2020” award. He was also a Mandela Washington Fellow, selected among the top 1,000 leaders in Africa by the U.S Dept of State under the Young African Leaders Initiative.
Dr. Tusuubira’s currently serves on the consultative council for the "A new day for Sickle Cell Disease in Africa Project" a partnership between the Africa CDC and the Texas Children's Hospital. This project seeks to integrate essential sickle cell disease care into primary health services across Africa and save millions of affected children from relentless pain, disability, and preventable death.
Dr. Tusuubira is an archery enthusiast, having competed on the Uganda National team, and enjoys hiking, with Jabar al-Nour in Saudi Arabia being his favorite trail. He is also well-traveled, having visited more than10 countries. He spends most his weekends biking with his two kids and wife.
