Mrs. Lanre-Tunji Ajayi
Lanre Tunji-Ajayi is a respected leader and global patient advocate with decades of experience advancing care, visibility, and equity for individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and other inherited blood disorders. She has played a pivotal role in shaping advocacy and organizational governance, co-founding the Global Alliance of Sickle Cell Disease Organizations (GASCDO) and, more recently, the Global Action Network for Sickle Cell & Other Inherited Blood Disorders (GANSID). In Canada, she is the Founder of the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO) and Co-Founder/Founding President & CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada (SCDAC), where her leadership has driven landmark policy and health system changes, including the adoption of newborn screening programs, expanded access to disease-modifying therapies, increased supplies of matched blood for patients, and the official recognition of June 19th as National Sickle Cell Awareness Day.
Her advocacy is deeply personal, inspired by the loss of her brother to preventable complications of SCD, and has since expanded into a lifelong mission to strengthen patient engagement, equity, and inclusion in healthcare. Beyond her organizational leadership, Lanre has served in numerous national and international roles, including with the Network of Rare Blood Disorder Organizations, Canadian Blood Services, the Black Health Alliance, and the American Society of Hematology’s Sickle Cell Disease Coalition. A recognized voice for racialized health equity, she also co-founded the Ontario Hemoglobinopathy Patient Association and the Racialized Health Initiative Working Group. In recognition of her transformative contributions, Lanre has received the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal, the Senate of Canada 150 Award, and was named among the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.
