1 Transfusion and Treatment of severe anaemia in African children (TRACT): a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial Ayub Mpoya 1 , Sarah Kiguli 2 , Peter Olupot-Olupot 3 , Robert O Opoka 2 , Charles Engoru 4 , Macpherson Mallewa 5 , Yami Chimalizeni 5 , Neil Kennedy 5 , Dorothy Kyeyune 6 , Benjamin Wabwire 7 , Bridon M’baya 8 , Imelda Bates 9, Britta Urban 9 , Michael Boele von Hensbroek 10 , Robert Heyderman 9,11 , Margaret J Thomason 12 , Sophie Uyoga 1 , Thomas N Williams 1,13 , Diana M. Gibb 12 , Elizabeth C. George 12 , A. Sarah Walker 12 , Kathryn Maitland 1,123 1 KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, PO Box 230, Kilifi, Kenya; 2 Department of Paediatrics, Mulago Hospital, PO Box 7072, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda 3 Department of Paediatrics, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital Pallisa Road Zone, PO Box 921, Mbale, Uganda 4 Department of Paediatrics, Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, PO Box 289, Soroti, Uganda; 5 College of Medicine, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Malawi, P/Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi, 6 Uganda Blood Transfusion Service P.O.Box 1772, Kampala, Uganda; 7 Mbale Regional Blood Bank, P.O. Box 284, Mbale, Uganda; 8 Malawi Blood Transfusion Service, PO Box 2681, Blantyre, Malawi; 9 Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, PO Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi ; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; 10 Emma Children’s Hospital Amsterdam Medical C (Global Child Health Group) Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam; 11 Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street London WC1E 6BT, UK; 12 MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway London, WC2B 6NH, UK 13 Wellcome Trust Centre for Clinical Tropical Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, St Marys Campus, Norfolk Place, Imperial College, London W2 1PG, UK. Corresponding Author Professor Kathryn Maitland Wellcome Trust Centre for Clinical Tropical Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London St Mary's Campus Norfolk Place London W2 1PG Email k.maitland@imperial.ac.uk; kathryn.maitland@gmail.com Telephone: +254733411022 Fax: +254754122390 Ayub Mpoya: AMpoya@kemri-wellcome.org Sarah Kiguli: skwalube@yahoo.co.uk Peter Olupot Olupot: polupotolupot@yahoo.com Robert O. Opoka: opokabob@yahoo.com