From June 3rd to 6th, 2025, the city of Abuja, Nigeria, became the epicenter of a powerful global movement—one grounded in science, empathy, and collective resolve. Among the delegates shaping this conversation at the 5th Global Congress on Sickle Cell Disease, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, was Emily Gumba, Senior Programme Officer at FAWE Africa.

Held under the urgent and inclusive theme, “Working Together to Reduce the Burden of Sickle Cell Disease: Leaving No One Behind,” the congress drew over 500 participants from across the world—healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, caregivers, advocates, policy influencers, and industry leaders—to advance the global SCD agenda.

What made this four-day gathering extraordinary was its patient-focused, cross-disciplinary approach. Far from being siloed into medical jargon or scientific enclaves, the congress embraced the full spectrum of lived experience. Sessions ranged from basic and translational science, to clinical best practices, public health strategies, psychosocial impact, and the sociopolitical realities that shape access to care.

As a representative of FAWE Africa—a network grounded in the rights and health of girls and women—Emily Gumba’s presence carried a vital message: that the fight against Sickle Cell Disease is also a fight for gender equity, health equity, and access to inclusive education. In too many communities, adolescent girls living with SCD face layers of stigma, school exclusion, and unmet health needs. Advocacy for their inclusion must be as bold as the science driving treatment breakthroughs.

Importantly, the congress also explored innovative policy solutions and scalable interventions, including those aimed at reaching marginalized populations with affordable and effective therapies. The tone throughout was both urgent and hopeful, anchored in recent scientific strides toward curative therapies, and the growing will to dismantle systemic barriers to care.

In stepping into this global dialogue, FAWE Africa affirms its commitment to a world where no child is held back by preventable disease and where every girl, regardless of her health status, can learn, grow, and lead.