To mark World Sickle Cell Day, CAREST member countries and territories are organizing a wide range of awareness, education, advocacy, and community engagement activities aimed at increasing public understanding of sickle cell disease and supporting affected individuals and families.
Cuba
In a context of significant social and economic challenges, awareness-raising activities will be conducted, including a public education campaign and a national television report, demonstrating the continued commitment of Cuban stakeholders to improving knowledge of sickle cell disease.
Jamaica
Activities include a commemorative church service and a special radio programme featuring patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, and representatives from the Ministry of Health. Regional awareness initiatives are also planned across the island.
Haiti
As part of World Sickle Cell Day 2026, under the global theme "Bridging the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Disease – Every Child with Sickle Cell Disease Deserves an Equal Chance to Live, Grow, and Thrive”, several activities will be organized to raise awareness and strengthen care for individuals living with sickle cell disease. Planned activities include a presentation at the 27th Congress of Pediatrics on transfusion in sickle cell disease, focusing on indications and complications, as well as advocacy efforts to promote newborn screening. A vaccination day for children enrolled in the sickle cell cohort will be held on June 18.
On June 19, activities will include an awareness day at Saint Damien Hospital featuring educational sessions, discussions, patient testimonials, games and activities for children, and the distribution of educational materials.
Dominican Republic
To commemorate World Sickle Cell Day, an awareness video has been produced. The video showcases the work and experiences of the facilitators of the National Programme for the Detection, Education and Prevention of Sickle Cell Anaemia (PRONADEPFA) during educational outreach activities conducted in communities across the country. It features testimonials from members of the technical team, as well as footage of participants—primarily secondary school students—who have taken part in these awareness initiatives. The video will be disseminated through the website and social media platforms of the Patronato de las Enfermedades Congénitas y Hereditarias, Inc. (PECYH) to promote greater awareness and understanding of sickle cell.
Guadeloupe
Activities will include community outreach events, awareness-raising initiatives, discussions on the relationship between sickle cell disease and mental health, a public forum, and cultural performances. The programme will also highlight the experiences of people living with sickle cell disease through the dissemination of the book Voices of Sickle Cell Disease, produced under the direction of Dr Edda Hadeed, President of the Sickle Cell Association of Antigua and Barbuda and a member of the CAREST Board of Directors.
Martinique
Martinique will host a comprehensive awareness-raising event bringing together healthcare professionals, patient associations, and institutional partners committed to improving the lives of people living with sickle cell disease. Several organizations, including APIPD-Martinique, ADMO, ACF, and ASAD 972, will operate information booths to educate the public and promote greater awareness of the disease.
Healthcare specialists from different disciplines will also participate in the event, providing information on the management of sickle cell disease and its complications. Discussions will highlight areas such as nephrology and orthopaedic surgery, underscoring the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
The programme will feature an educational quiz on sickle cell disease, activities promoting blood donation in collaboration with the French Blood Establishment (EFS), and an open house at the Adult Sickle Cell Disease Reference Centre (CRDA). Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the services provided by the Centre through exhibitions, presentations of patient care pathways, and film screenings related to sickle cell disease.
Participants will also be able to receive guidance on sickle cell disease screening. In addition, the event will benefit from extensive media coverage, including the production and dissemination of awareness-raising content by media partners to broaden public outreach and engagement.
Saint Lucia
The Saint Lucia Sickle Cell Association will coordinate a series of activities throughout June, including radio outreach, a mini health fair, community sensitization events, and programmes supporting the development of future healthcare professionals.
Trinidad and Tobago
The Society of Severe Blood Disorders of Trinidad and Tobago will host educational webinars focusing on wound care for leg ulcers and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, providing valuable information for patients and healthcare providers.
French Guiana
Planned activities will include a public awareness campaign in hospital settings in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, led by the Sickle Cell Disease Reference Centre. The programme will also feature educational sessions for students, teachers, and school staff, as well as a public conference on the theme of living with sickle cell disease..
These different initiatives reaffirm the commitment of CAREST and its partners to raising awareness, promoting early diagnosis and comprehensive care, and improving the quality of life of people living with sickle cell disease across the Caribbean region.