AFRICARhE - WIRhE

The African Initiative to Eradicate Rh Disease (AFRICARhE) is more than a research project, is a collaboration of dedicated colleagues in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, and the Netherlands united by one goal: no baby should die of a preventable disease.

Together with stakeholders per country, we work to:
• Implement RhD screening and create accessible anti-D prophylaxis programs.
• Strengthen laboratories to secure long-term access to diagnostics.
• Conduct implementation research
• ⁠PhD programs and clinical mentorship.
• Engage communities and policymakers to ensure that solutions are equitable, locally owned, and culturally grounded.

Why this urgency cannot wait
Rh disease is preventable with one antiD shot per pregnancy —yet today thousands of babies still die every year. With each pregnancy, the disease strikes earlier and more severe, and women lose baby after baby.

• A global shortage of polyclonal anti-D now threatens access even in high-income countries.
• In many low- and middle-income settings, screening and prophylaxis are still absent or unaffordable.

AFRICARhE collaborates to increase African capacity while shaping global strategies for sustainable anti-D production, smarter use, and equitable distribution.

By combining science, policy, and local leadership, AFRICARhE aims to end preventable fetal and neonatal deaths from Rh disease in Africa—and to safeguard future mothers and babies everywhere!

July 2025 Update

Key insights from our research:
• RhD-negative blood group among pregnant women in Africa is 4.8% but varies among countries
• Women with a RhD-negative blood group had twice the odds of adverse perinatal outcomes in Ethiopia

During stakeholder meetings in Tanzania, broad support was expressed for joint efforts — including building sustainable access to polyclonal anti-D, ideally produced locally.

Next steps:
• We are screening 20,000 pregnant women in Tanzania and Ethiopia. We are in Tanzania now for a train-the-trainer to be ready to start. Updates will follow.
• In Malawi, we are studying 500 jaundiced newborns to better understand underlying causes including HDFN
• Thanks to a generous donation of 800 doses of Rhophylac by CSL Behring, we can offer effective prevention to at-risk women.

Eradicating Rhesus Disease - A Global Call to Action

Together with colleagues from Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital in Ethiopia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Tanzania, we have collectively developed a two-phase study to try and tackle this issue. By uncovering the disease burden and starting a screening and prevention program, we aim to ultimately eradicate Rhesus Disease.

Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN) occurs when the immune system of the mother responds to the red blood cells of the baby. If left untreated, the baby become anemic, can suffer brain damage or even die. In rich countries HDFN has been a major cause of perinatal death, but nowadays prevention and treatment have virtually eradicated HDFN.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of HDFN is likely still enormous, although good numbers are lacking. This is entirely unacceptable:

“It has been estimated that Rhesus disease still results in more than 160,000 perinatal deaths and 100,000 cases of disability annually, representing only a 50% reduction relative to the era before immunoglobulin administration. Such a high burden of a preventable disease should be considered completely unacceptable.”- The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

We need your help!

Together with colleagues from Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital in Ethiopia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Tanzania, we have collectively developed a two-phase study to try and tackle this issue. By uncovering the disease burden and starting a screening and prevention program, we aim to ultimately eradicate Rhesus Disease.

Download the flyer here

Contact us for more information