Free Sickle Cell Transplant Assessment | Sibling Match Programme
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The Sibling Match Programme

A brother or sister may already carry the cure.

Each full brother or sister has roughly a one in four chance of being a bone marrow match — and a matched sibling transplant is the most established cure for sickle cell disease. Most Nigerian families are never told this.

Free assessment — reviewed by a Fortis transplant haematologist
A written reply within 48 hours, with a clear next step
No cost and no obligation — meet us in Abuja if you want to go further
Check if your family qualifies How it works

Takes about 4 minutes. Have your child's genotype result to hand if you can.

In association with the Fortis Information Centre, Abuja — [Exact authorised wording]

1 in 4
chance that each full sibling is a bone marrow match
91%
alive and free of sickle cell five years after a matched-sibling transplant
International study of 1,000 transplants. Gluckman et al., Blood, 2017. Source
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HLA Testing Guide
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What the programme is

A free specialist opinion on one question: could a transplant cure your child?

A bone marrow transplant replaces the cells that make sickle-shaped blood with healthy cells from a matched donor. When the donor is a brother or sister, the results are among the best in transplant medicine.

The hard part for most families is not the transplant. It is not knowing whether it is even possible — whether a sibling might match, whether the child is healthy enough, and what to do next. That is the question this programme answers, free, with a written opinion from a Fortis transplant haematologist.

Start the free assessment

Who it is for

Children and adults with sickle cell disease (SS, SC or other) living in Nigeria.

Who reviews it

A Fortis transplant haematologist — named on this page, not a call centre.

What it costs

Nothing. You pay only if you later choose testing or treatment.

Where treatment happens

At Fortis hospitals in India. Abuja is for assessment and coordination only.

How it works

Four steps, and you decide at every one

1

Tell us about your child

Age, genotype, brothers and sisters, and medical history. Upload any reports you have — they help but are not required.

2

A haematologist reviews it

A Fortis transplant haematologist reads your details and writes back within 48 hours.

3

You get a clear next step

Usually HLA testing for named siblings — with where to get it in Lagos or Abuja and what it costs.

4

Meet us in Abuja

If you want to go further, visit the centre in Garki to go through the plan, costs and travel in person.

Why sooner is better

Transplants work best in childhood

Sickle cell damages organs gradually. The earlier a transplant happens, the less damage there is to repair — and the better the results.

That does not mean adults cannot be helped. It means that if your child has a brother or sister, finding out whether they match is worth doing now rather than later. The assessment is free and takes four minutes.

Five-year survival after a matched-sibling transplant, by age

Under 16 years95%
16 years and over81%

Source: Gluckman E, et al. Sickle cell disease: an international survey of results of HLA-identical sibling haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood. 2017;129(11):1548–1556. 1,000 patients, 106 centres, 23 countries. International registry data — not specific to any single hospital.

Dr. Rahul Bhargava
Your assessment is reviewed by

Dr. Rahul Bhargava

Principal Director & Head — Haematology, Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram

MBBS, MD (Medicine), DM (Clinical Haematology), AIIMS New Delhi. He has performed more than 1,500 bone marrow transplants, including matched sibling, haploidentical and unrelated-donor transplants, and his areas of expertise include sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia.

View full profile
Honest guidance

Who is likely to be a candidate — and who may not be

Not every patient will be suitable, and we will tell you plainly if that is the case. Please apply either way — only a haematologist can decide.

More likely to be suitable

  • Confirmed sickle cell disease (SS, SC or similar)
  • Has one or more full brothers or sisters (same mother and father)
  • Younger patients, especially under 16
  • Frequent crises, a past stroke, acute chest syndrome, or regular transfusions
  • Heart, lungs, liver and kidneys still working reasonably well

May need more assessment

  • No full brothers or sisters — a parent donor may still be possible
  • All full siblings also have sickle cell disease
  • Adults, especially with significant organ damage
  • Serious ongoing infections or other major illness
  • Diagnosis not yet confirmed by a genotype test
Sibling Match — Free Transplant Assessment
Free assessment

Check if your family qualifies

Four short sections. About four minutes. A haematologist replies in writing within 48 hours.

Your information is protected under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and is never sold.
We reply on WhatsApp by default — the fastest way to reach most families.
No reports yet? Submit anyway. The haematologist will tell you which tests to get.

Prefer to talk first?

+234 903 743 7124
Secure form · 100% confidential
Step 1 of 4About the patient
About the patient
First name only is enough at this stage.
Please enter the patient's first name.
In years. Enter 0 for babies under one.
Please enter an age between 0 and 80.
Please select one.
Please tell us where you are.
Please choose one option.
That is fine — please continue. The haematologist will tell you which test confirms the diagnosis and where to get it in Nigeria.
Brothers and sisters

Only full siblings count here — those who share both the same mother and the same father as the patient.

Optional. Separate with commas.
Please still continue. Without a full sibling, a half-matched transplant from a parent (a haploidentical transplant) may still be possible for some patients. The haematologist will advise.
Please choose one option.
Siblings with sickle cell trait (AS) can usually still donate. Siblings with the disease itself cannot.
Please choose one option.
Most families have not done this yet — it is the usual next step. See where to get HLA testing in Lagos and Abuja (opens in a new tab, your answers are kept).
Medical history
Please choose one option.
Please choose one option.
Tap to add files, or drag them here
Genotype result, blood count, haematologist letter. PDF, JPG or PNG · up to 5 files · 10 MB each
    Photos taken on a phone are fine, as long as the text is readable.
    Where should we send the reply?
    Please enter your name.
    +234
    Please enter a valid Nigerian mobile number, e.g. 803 123 4567.
    Please check the email address.

    Your consent — each box is separate and required to proceed.

    This consent is needed to review the case.
    This consent is needed for the haematologist to review the case.
    We need permission to send you the reply.

    This assessment is educational and does not replace medical advice or constitute a diagnosis. You can ask us to delete your data at any time by emailing [data-protection email]. Read our privacy notice.

    Your answers are private

    Thank you — your details are with us

    Reference: SM-000000

    A Fortis transplant haematologist will review the case and we will reply on WhatsApp within 48 hours. You will get a confirmation message in the next few minutes.

    While you wait

    Read how HLA testing works and where to get it in Nigeria.

    HLA testing guide →

    Visit the centre

    Suite A0, UYK Hexahub, Balanga Crescent, Garki Area 11, Abuja. Mon–Sat, 9:00–18:00.

    Directions →
    After you submit

    You will get one of three answers, in writing

    Every reply is written and signed by the reviewing haematologist. We will not tell you what you want to hear — we will tell you what is true.

    Answer A

    A transplant looks realistic

    We explain why, name the next step — usually HLA testing for specific siblings — tell you where to get it and what it costs, and invite you to the Abuja centre.

    Answer B

    We need a little more information

    We tell you exactly which tests or reports are needed and where to get them in Nigeria, so the haematologist can give you a clear answer.

    Answer C

    Not suitable at the moment

    We say so honestly and explain why, share guidance on managing the condition, and keep the door open if circumstances change.

    Want to understand HLA testing first?

    What the test is, which siblings to test, where to get it in Lagos and Abuja, what it costs, and how to read the result.

    Read the HLA testing guide
    Questions

    What families ask us most

    Yes, in some patients. A bone marrow (stem cell) transplant from a matched brother or sister is the most established cure for sickle cell disease. In an international study of 1,000 matched-sibling transplants, 91.4% of patients were alive and free of sickle cell disease five years later. Newer gene therapies exist but are not currently accessible to most families in Nigeria.

    Each full brother or sister who shares both parents has roughly a one in four (25%) chance of being a tissue (HLA) match. The more full siblings a child has, the better the chance that at least one is a match. A simple HLA blood test confirms it.

    Usually yes. A matched sibling with sickle cell trait (genotype AS) can generally be a donor. A sibling who has sickle cell disease themselves (SS or SC) cannot. The reviewing haematologist confirms this for each family.

    Yes. The assessment and the written reply from the reviewing haematologist are free and carry no obligation. You only pay if you later choose to go ahead with testing or treatment.

    No. The Abuja centre provides information, assessment and travel coordination only. All medical treatment, including the transplant, takes place at Fortis hospitals in India.

    Please still apply. A half-matched transplant from a parent (haploidentical transplant) may be an option for some patients. The reviewing haematologist will advise on your child's specific situation.

    Outcomes are better when the transplant happens in childhood. In the international study of 1,000 matched-sibling transplants, five-year survival was 95% for patients under 16 and 81% for patients aged 16 and over. Adults can still be assessed.

    Medically reviewed by Dr. Rahul Bhargava, MBBS, MD, DM (Clinical Haematology)

    Four minutes could tell you whether a cure is possible.

    Free. Reviewed by a Fortis transplant haematologist. A written answer within 48 hours.

    Start the assessment WhatsApp