Session 9 of the 2026 Monthly Speaker Series
Truth, Treatment, and Triumph in Sickle Cell Disease.
A hematologist’s view of the myths, the medicine, and the shift toward better care for people living with sickle cell disease across Africa and the diaspora.
Dr. Enam Sefakor Bankas Hematologist, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital · Founder, Sickle Life · Co-founder, Heale
● Upcoming
● Live today
● Live now
Date
Wed 30 Sep
2026
Time
12:00 PM CT
5:00 PM Accra · 6:00 PM Lagos · 8:00 PM Nairobi
Format
60 min
Talk + live Q&A on Zoom
Cost
Free
Members get the recording in My AHA
A hematologist building better lives around sickle cell.
Dr. Enam Sefakor Bankas is a hematologist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and a certified Project Management Professional. She is the founder of Sickle Life and co-founder of Heale, two organizations working to change how sickle cell disease is understood, treated, and talked about.
Through education and e-Health solutions, her work focuses on improving the health of people living with sickle cell disease and other anemias, and on the patient advocacy that keeps them at the center of care.
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
Hematologist
Sickle Life
Founder
Heale
Co-founder
AHA Ghana 2026
Speaker, patient advocacy
Who should attend
Physicians & specialists
Doctors across every specialty, including hematology and primary care
Nurses, midwives & allied health
Frontline care teams in hospitals and communities
Pharmacists & lab scientists
Medicines, diagnostics, and laboratory professionals
Students & researchers
Medical trainees, academics, and public health researchers
Not in healthcare? Anyone interested in sickle cell disease is welcome to join. Registration is free and open to all.
Four threads to explore.
Bring your questions. The final part of the hour is open Q&A with Dr. Bankas.
Understanding sickle cell disease
What happens in the body, who is affected, and why the burden falls so heavily on sub-Saharan Africa.
Separating myths from facts
The beliefs that delay diagnosis and care, and the evidence clinicians can use to answer them.
Treatment options globally
From hydroxyurea and newborn screening to gene therapies, and what is realistic in African health systems today.
Reducing stigmatisation
How families, schools, and clinics can support people living with SCD to thrive rather than hide.
Save your seat for 30 September.
We’re live now. Join us.
Missed it live? Watch the full session.
Wednesday 30 September · 12:00 PM CT · Zoom · 60 minutes
The complete talk and live Q&A with Dr. Bankas are waiting for AHA members in the My AHA portal. Not a member yet? Membership is $200 a year and includes every Speaker Series recording.
Complimentary registration · Live Q&A with the speaker
Speaker Series
Next in the series.
Oct
Wed 28 · 12pm CT
Market Access
Africa’s market access opportunity for pharmaceutical innovation.
Kwaku Marfo, PharmD, MBA, MPH
Nov
Date to be announced
Pharmacology
Shared wisdom: elevating African clinical experience.
Ashiwel Undieh, PhD
$200
per year
Membership
Watch every session in My AHA. Become a member.
Session recordings, briefings, and Ghana 2026 rates