We pay the cost of care for sickle cell patients in Africa who are unable to keep up with the reoccurring financial burden

Why are we doing this?

Sickle cell is a disease that affect haemoglobin formation, a protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. Complications range from mild to life-threatening crisis. This happens when blood vessels to parts of body become blocked. Episodes of pain can last for a few hours to days or weeks. For patients with financial difficulties, reoccurring treatment cost is a challenge.

GoAbiye.

Born to live!

"Thank you so much for coming to our school and spreading sickle cell awareness, we all loved your presentation" ***

"Thanks for the amazing assembly" ****

"Thank you so much for teaching me about what goes on around me that I didn't even know about." ***

"Thank you, Sir, for conveying your message on sickle cell disease really excellently. Everything read clear and I understood your key points. I liked the way you used visual aids to support your points. They were really engaging, original and relatable." ***

"Thank you so much for coming to our school and spreading sickle cell awareness, we all loved your presentation" *** "Thanks for the amazing assembly" **** "Thank you so much for teaching me about what goes on around me that I didn't even know about." *** "Thank you, Sir, for conveying your message on sickle cell disease really excellently. Everything read clear and I understood your key points. I liked the way you used visual aids to support your points. They were really engaging, original and relatable." ***

Who we are

GoAbiye is proudly a pan-African nonprofit advocating for the world where sickle cell morbidity and mortality tied to lack of financial means become a thing of the past.
We select the patients through accredited  hospitals and pay their cost of care for free.
Founded by Kolapo Akinola, a sickle cell advocate, writer and data scientist. GoAbiye collaborates with organizations, like-minded individuals to build a hub of campaigners and raise resources to pay it forward.

Patient Selection Process

  • Recommendation from accredited hospitals based on the patient’s history of care and social welfare status e.g. patients who have stopped receiving treatment for financial reasons or previously detained for late payment 
  • Patient verification through a face to face interview as part of our due diligence
  • Selection based on the recommendation and the patients-related social economic factors
  • Patient confirmation and onboarding

Partners Hospitals

We've partnered with Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana, working with Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Director, Director of Administration, Medical Social Welfare and doctors overseeing the Sickle Cell Clinic.

More partner hospitals to be added soon.

“For some patients, red blood cell transfusion is needed every 4-6 weeks to help increase normal red blood cells, reduce complications and symptoms.”

Treatment Plan

Consultation

  • Ongoing consultation
  • Blood tests, Imaging or Scan
  • Acute crisis root cause e.g. chest infection

Investigation

  • Medication e.g. maintenance therapy, antibiotics, analgesia (pain relief)
  • Blood transfusion
  • Hospitalization e.g. 2 days or more

Treatment

Operating Model

  1. Hospital. Recommends.

  2. We. Authenticate.

  3. We. Enrol.

  4. We. Sort the bills.

We've got our patients covered 24/7.

We've made things simpler. Because it matters.

We've got our patients covered 24/7. We've made things simpler. Because it matters.

Culture

Compassion

What do we stand for?

Community

Our Vision

To avert sickle cell mortality and morbidity in Africa due to lack of financial means

Mission

  • To relieve the patients and their carers of the reoccurring financial burden and prevent morbidity and mortality secondary to sickle cell anaemia in Africa due to lack of financial means

  • To amplify sickle cell awareness campaign in a new way

Values

  • Compassion. To serve others wholeheartedly with no anticipation of gain in return, for the good of our people, partners and the Continent

  • Culture. We appreciate the beauty of our heritage, our diversities, and the peculiarities of our story as people

  • Community. We strive to build a community of forward thinkers to accelerate our campaign in a new way

Scale Strategy

Hospitals.

  • Expand to more hospitals - state and private

  • Engage the health insurance scheme providers

  • Campaign for new patients enrolments

Patients.

  • Retain the patients on the Pilot based on the outcome

  • Onboard additional patients

  • Enrol patients for health insurance subject to the Programme maturity

Communities.

  • Scale to more communities locally

  • Begin new country engagement

Learn more about our Programme

  • Patient can sign up to our Programme at any partner hospital. We do not directly enrol patient. The hospital files the record and recommends to us if they meet our selection criteria. Following our due diligence, we'd confirm with the patient and the hospital if selected.

    In the event that a patient is identified directly, we'd refer them for registration at the nearest partner hospital provided there's one and upon the hospital recommendation, we'd enrol the patient.

  • Proximity to the hospital is important especially in cases of emergencies. Patients are registered at the hospital accessible to them. Please check if your hospital is near any of our partner hospitals. If not, please review our list from time to time. As we grow, we'd scale to more hospitals and communities

  • Yes. Totally free.

  • Yes. We pay the cost of care for strictly sickle cell crisis management: consultation, treatment, medication or hospitalization. If the patient turns up at the hospital for non-sickle cell related illness, we’ll not be able to cover for this under our Programme.

  • No. This is only for sickle cell disease.

  • No. We enrol patients from all walks of life regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender, religion or any other factor.

  • We have many measures in place. We work with accredited hospitals. We partner with the Chief Medical Director and the management. As part of our operating model, our representative on the ground validates due diligence checklist before releasing fund.

    If any misuse or manipulation is found, we'd take the patient off our Programme and terminate the partnership with the hospital with immediate effect.

  • We can enrol a new patient within a week, subject to our budget and due diligence satisfactory check.

  • No. Our Programme is for the patients living in Africa.

  • No. GoAbiye do not provide any medical advise. Medical doctors and health care professionals at our partner hospitals provide medical expertise. We do encourage patients to live healthier: staying hydrated, eating healthier, staying active with light and moderate exercise, and getting good sleep daily.

  • We’d appreciate your support. Whatever we receive, we pay it forward. We’re partnering with organizations and like-minded individuals like you. Please write to us at contact@goabiye.com

    You can donate directly through the “Get Involved” page on the website.

  • Please write to us at contact@goabiye.com

Smart - Our Creative Campaign

Join our Smart Programme, hub of creative campaigners, to inspire positive change through storytelling, comedy, sports, culture and technology

“Affliction shall not rise the second time.”

Brand & Media Features

Promoted Sickle Cell Awareness campaign through storytelling and literature at these organizations

~ #newsupdate

~ Featured on The Transition Show, Tribe Urban Radio in London (May 2022)

~ Featured on TVC Continental, Breakfast Show, Good Morning Nigeria (June 2022)

~ Collaborated with Radisson Blu Ikeja Lagos (August 2022), promoted sickle cell awareness campaign through the hotel Digital Platform

~ Held "Fireside Chat on Sickle Cell" at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Black History Month Event (October 2022)

~ Literature Storytelling at Accenture UK&I (May 2022), UK Migration Museum (Nov 2022), Picsart USA (Nov 2022)

~ Held sickle cell in Africa spotlight event at Microsoft in London (July 2023)

~ #newsupdate ~ Featured on The Transition Show, Tribe Urban Radio in London (May 2022) ~ Featured on TVC Continental, Breakfast Show, Good Morning Nigeria (June 2022) ~ Collaborated with Radisson Blu Ikeja Lagos (August 2022), promoted sickle cell awareness campaign through the hotel Digital Platform ~ Held "Fireside Chat on Sickle Cell" at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Black History Month Event (October 2022) ~ Literature Storytelling at Accenture UK&I (May 2022), UK Migration Museum (Nov 2022), Picsart USA (Nov 2022) ~ Held sickle cell in Africa spotlight event at Microsoft in London (July 2023)

Some of our sickle cell patients enrolled to our free healthcare service in Ghana, with their parents. On the far right is our Ghana Country Manager, Dr Vivian Paintsil

Advisory Board

  • Kolapo Akinola

    Founder

    Data Scientist

  • Dr Wumi Akinola

    Trustee

    Obstetrician Gynecologist

  • Dr Vivian Paintsil

    Country Lead, Ghana

    Paediatrician