Boot Camps for Sickle Cell Disease

A School of Nursing professor’s quest to help others live with the condition

A group of four nurses in colorful clothing holding a microphone
Officials from the Nigerian Ministry of Health's nursing care division welcome nurses to a June 2025 boot camp in Abuja, Nigeria, to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and treatment, the first such training session Stephanie Ibemere has led in Africa.

The following is a summary of a story on Duke Global Health Institute.

Duke School of Nursing Assistant Professor Stephanie Ibemere always felt drawn to Nigeria, the country her parents once called home. But it wasn’t until graduate school in Cincinnati when she heard a speaker describe how sickle cell disease was devastating communities there that her path became clear. She realized she could use her skills as a nurse and researcher to make a difference in a place that meant so much to her.

In Nigeria, about 150,000 babies are born with the condition annually, and more than half will not live past age five because of limited access to diagnosis and treatment.

The disease deforms red blood cells into rigid, sickle-shaped cells, causing severe pain, anemia and organ damage. Despite its prevalence, even healthcare workers often lack the training needed to care for patients effectively.

Ibemere, also a Duke Global Health Institute faculty member, set out to change that. She began organizing intensive boot camps, in the U.S., Nigeria and Brazil, that bring nurses and healthcare workers together to learn the science of sickle cell disease and how to truly listen to and support people living with it.

At the heart of each boot camp is the “Warrior Panel.” Patients share their experiences, describing pain that is often doubted or dismissed. Too often, providers assume that someone who isn’t visibly suffering isn’t in pain, or that requests for medication signal misuse. Ibemere works to dismantle these myths and replace them with understanding.

“The term ‘warrior’ highlights the strength individuals living with SCD carry and sometimes must use to preserve themselves in a health system that is not always on the side of the warrior,” Ibemere says.

Through her research, Ibemere has shown that her training model improves nurses’ knowledge and confidence. But the work is more than data; it is a mission for Ibemere, who aims to change the future for sickle cell warriors worldwide.

To learn more about Ibemere’s work, visit Duke Global Health Institute.