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  • How to bridge gap, increase blood donation drive – Experts

    How to bridge gap, increase blood donation drive – Experts

    A medical expert Ayokunnumi Jesubunmi and a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Fisayomi Adetayo have said many people who don’t know the importance of blood donation will be willing to donate when they see those leading them in different spheres takes the lead.

    Both speakers in the separate remarks said lives are lost daily due to the gap between needed blood in times of emergency and availability of blood in the various banks.

    Jesubunmi, who presides over, RCCG, Jesus Residence, Awolowo, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State made the remarks when he mobilised and led his members on a blood donation drive at the Blood Bank, University College Hospital, Ibadan on Saturday, to commemorate the World Blood Donor day.

    He said, beyond preaching and teaching to save lives, blood donation is also a way by which lives can be saved, eapecially in times of emergency.

    According to him:  “This event is a blood drive initiative. We are keying into the world blood donor day. And the reason why we decided to embark on this is because of the injunction of Jesus Christ.

    “Jesus said in John 10.10, He said that the thief comes to steal, kil and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly. So Jesus came to give life, which is life eternal. And He has also designated us that as I have given you life, you can also.

    “So we feel that aside from preaching the scriptures, one of the ways to reach people is by at least saving their life through blood donation. We do a lot of other things, but this is part of us identifying with helping the people and saving life according to how Jesus said.”

    Speaking on the importance, Jesubunmi said, just a pint of blood can save up to three people per time, hence it’s imperative in saving lives.

    “As a medical practitioner, I do tell people that a pint of blood, which is around 450ml, can even save three people. Not just one person. And sometimes when you donate, we call something Aphresis

    “Aphresis is dividing the blood into different components. So you will not even administer the whole blood to people. You can administer somebody with platelets. Somebody with white blood cells. Somebody with red blood cells. It is very, very good.

    “When people give birth, it is not even a bad thing. Some will need blood. Accident victims need blood. Those who are going through chemotherapy need blood. A lot of people need blood. And this is something that we should encourage people. And when you even donate blood, you are even helping yourself. It is a symbiotic thing. You help the people. Your body also rejuvenates.”

    He said, with the right policy, if people in leadership position lead in blood donation, many if their followers will follow suit.

    “I do say that after God is government, anything that the government wants to do, it can do. The person that has the monopoly of anything is the government. So if the government is serious about anything, including blood donation, people will donate.”

    In her views, Adetayo who doubles as the Vice Chairman of the Planning Committee, said blood donation is crucial and expedient since science and reaearch have not been able to come up with formulae for blood manufacturing.

    Adetayo, who is also a volunteer blood donor and a public health advocate said blood donation is compulsory because it is literally the pillar of medicine.

    Noting that her years of experience had shown that demand for blood is far more than the supply in most hospitals, she said her Parish decided to embark on the blood donation drive to follow Christ step who also gave his blood for humanity. 

    “Because for almost all chronic conditions, illnesses, surgical procedures, medical conditions, think of everything that pertains to the hospital setting, you need blood. You need it for trauma accidents, mother and child. When you have incidences for postpartum haemorrhage. You need blood for surgical procedures and for dialysis for people that suffer from chronic kidney diseases.

    “Dialysis is one of the treatments that they give to them to clear their blood of all of the unnecessary things that circulate in it as a result of the breakdown of the kidney. So they need blood to transfuse them, to wipe out toxins and wipe out excretory products. And they need blood.

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    “Take, for example, even cancer patients. You need blood for chemotherapy. You need blood for quite a number of things in the hospital. And the demand is outrageously more than the supply. I can remember when I had my internship here at UCH. We ran out of blood completely from the blood bank. There was literally no blood to cross-match for patients. 

    “And it’s even worse for developing countries and the blacks. Nigeria, as a case study, is worse for us because in Western countries, they have policies, they have systems in place to ensure that a larger percentage of their population are meeting the demands of their blood need.

    “But in Nigeria and in Africa, it’s quite unfortunate for us. So that’s why we are advocating and bringing from the religious perspective that Christ gave His blood, so we also should give our blood.

    “And it’s quite unfortunate that blood cannot be synthesised commercially. You can’t produce blood. You can’t prepare blood in a laboratory setting. It is only the human body system that has that ability. All accolades and credits to God for his level of creativity. It’s only the human system that has the ability to reproduce blood.

    “So I think, since we are the only source of production, the government should put in place policies that will encourage people. And I also think it’s because of lack of education. There are so many myths and untrue information that is passing around in the community space. Many 

    people don’t have the right information about the importance of blood donation.

    “So if government officials, public agencies can come and put in place policy that would actually work, it’s not just about making the policy, but also ensure that they implement the policies that they make to ensure that all these policies are obeyed at diverse blood bank centres across the various facilities in the country”, she added.

  • Lagos urges residents to embrace voluntary blood donation in 2025 campaign

    Lagos urges residents to embrace voluntary blood donation in 2025 campaign

    The Lagos state government has launched the 2025 voluntary blood donation awareness month, urging residents to donate blood voluntarily and help address the growing shortage of safe blood in the state.

    The campaign, themed “Blood, A Precious Gift: Give to Save Lives,” began with a flag-off event at the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja.

    Activities included distributing informational leaflets, advocacy visits to stakeholders, and community engagement in key areas such as parks, markets, and garages around Ikeja and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya highlighted the critical need for voluntary blood donors.

    She described blood as an irreplaceable resource that cannot be manufactured.

    “Every day, lives depend on the selfless act of donating blood. Unfortunately, cultural myths and a lack of awareness have hindered the growth of this life-saving practice in Lagos,” she said.

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    Dr. Osikomaiya expressed concern over the critically low blood reserves in Lagos, which pose a significant risk to public health. She assured residents of stringent safety protocols to ensure a secure and rewarding donation process.

    The campaign is designed to raise awareness and mobilize individuals, organizations, and community leaders to join the cause.

    “Blood donation is not just a medical necessity; it’s a humanitarian act that can save up to three lives with just one pint of blood,” Dr. Osikomaiya added, encouraging Lagosians to make blood donation a cultural norm.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi stressed the government’s commitment to combating misconceptions about blood donation.

    Through outreach efforts in markets, offices, and motor parks, the campaign aims to educate residents about the safety and importance of donating blood.

    “Regular blood donors will be recognized, and new donors encouraged, to maintain a steady supply in our blood banks,” Dr. Adeyemi said.

    The Director of Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Mrs. Wuraola Makinde, underscored the role of blood donations during emergencies.

    She cited the 2023 Lagos train-bus collision as a case where prompt blood availability saved many lives. “Emergencies are unpredictable. Donating blood can mean the difference between life and death—not just for others but potentially for yourself or loved ones,” she noted.

    Volunteer and Nigerian Red Cross Society member, Mr. Jonathan Aghoro, called for a change in mindset regarding blood donation.

    He addressed fears that donated blood might be used for rituals or sold, dismissing such myths as baseless.

    “Blood donation is a humanitarian duty, and through campaigns like this, we can educate the public and dispel these myths,” he said.

    Aghoro also shared his optimism, noting increased participation in blood drives and expressing hope for greater progress.

    Donation centres have been set up at LASUTH, Gbagada General Hospital, and all General Hospitals across Lagos. Residents are encouraged to visit these centres and give the gift of life.

  • Benefits of blood donation, by experts

    Despite many misconceptions surrounding blood donation, medics say there are numerous health benefits for voluntary donors beyond the joy of saving lives, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF.

    The Ayedeye family still bear the scars of the untimely death of their wife and mother despite the passage of time. With her pregnancy less than eight months old, Fatimah found it amiss that blood oozed from her private part, prompting her to alert her family members for help.

    She was rushed to the General Hospital in Epe, Lagos, where a caesarean operation was recommended. However, after the surgery, she was in dire need of transfusion, but blood was impossible to get. She died, though her baby, a girl, survived. That was three years ago.

    Deaths arising from absence or inability to afford life-saving transfusions are regular in Nigeria, being one of the countries with the lowest blood donation rates. As far as medical doctors are concerned, deaths like Fatimah’s are avoidable, if the country meets her prescribed blood transfusion requirement.

    With the fourth-highest maternal mortality rate in the world, the giant of Africa accounts for 19 per cent of all maternal deaths globally. Postpartum haemorrhage (or loss of too much blood following birth) is fingered as the leading cause of such deaths in a country where there is no equitable access to safe blood and blood products.

    As explained by experts in transfusiology or transfusion medicine, one blood donation may indeed save up to three lives. Almost every second, someone is in need of blood or may depend on lifesaving transfusions to remain alive. This explains why, in the medical parlance, blood donors are regarded as altruists because their heroic donations help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. Donated blood can also help in managing patients suffering from bleeding disorders, chronic anemia associated with cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other hereditary blood abnormalities.

    Whenever a patient receives blood, doctors say the public should know that it was given in advance by a donor – either voluntary or paid for. Therefore, there’s no substitute for blood, since it cannot be manufactured; people are the only source of getting it. As the donor savours the satisfaction that comes with giving blood, which saves the life of fellow human beings who are in need, the giver too gets hugely compensated in the process. A mini-health examination that includes a checklist for diseases related to blood pressure and infections is often conducted before collecting blood. This is why people with AIDS, hepatitis and other diseases are never allowed to donate blood. Similarly, pregnant women and other intending donors who have taken vaccinations or have undergone surgery are advised to consult a medical professional before doing so.

    Before every blood donation, donors are mandated to get their iron (haemoglobin) level checked; blood pressure and pulse rate are also taken. This will be of great benefit, as any potential “red flags” will be discovered, says Dr. Saheed Bello, senior registrar, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTH). Because hospitals, clinics and blood banks subject every intended blood donor to several medical tests free, it sometimes helps the donor to know his or her health status with a view to doing something about it. In the hospital laboratories and blood banks, the rule of thumb is that every donor must pass through a free prior health screening plus mini-blood test, including an HB level test as well as a blood pressure and body check. Many donors’ lives have been saved from discovering their medical status during tests before being cleared for blood donation, he said.

    But getting to know one’s health status is not the only benefit blood donors get from giving their blood. Regular donation of one’s blood helps in advancing the donor’s heart health in many ways. Committed blood donors regularly eliminate excess iron. By reducing iron in the blood cells, blood donation can also reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. By reducing iron in the blood cells, blood donation can also reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

    Studies have found that regular blood donors have fewer heart attacks and strokes when they donated blood every six months. Bello said donating blood improves the  cardiovascular health of the donor because increasing level of iron in the blood raises the chance of heart disease. Because regular donation of blood helps to lower the amount of iron in the blood, especially in males, experts explain that this can reduce the chance of heart attack by 88 per cent; just as regular blood donation can lower the risk of severe cardiovascular events such as stroke by as high as 33 per cent.

    Donating blood also aids new red blood cells production, a boon to the donor.

    According to Prof Sulaiman Akanmu, a consultant haematologist and head of Heamatology and Transfusion Department, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), when blood is donated, the donor’s body begins replenishment of the lost blood.

    New cells are produced by marrow within 48 hours of donation, and the red blood cells the donor loses during donation are  replaced, thereby helping the donor to stimulate the production of new blood cells, which helps in replenishing the body to stay healthy and work more efficiently.

    Research has also suggested that regular blood donation reduces the risk of having cancer. Iron has also been thought to increase free-radical damage in the body besides being linked to an increase in risks of cancer and aging. Experts said consistent blood donation can bring about lower risks of cancers including liver, lung, colon, and throat cancers due to the reduction in oxidative stress when iron is released from the bloodstream.

    Donating blood regularly can also improve the donor’s fitness. Donating one pint of blood (450 ml) burns 650 calories in donor’s body. Akanmu said many elderly people who are in good health have reported feeling invigorated and re-energised by giving blood on a regular basis. Giving blood helps to lower the risk of cancer in donors. The heamatologist stressed that consistent blood donation helps in lowering risks of cancers, including liver, lung, colon, stomach and throat cancers, with risk levels dropping in correlation with how regular donors donate blood.

    Despite humongous benefits in blood donation, Nigeria suffers the unfortunate fate of not having enough blood that can cater for the transfusion requirement of her population. Like in countries with poor voluntary blood donation culture, the result is a huge harvest of avoidable deaths as a result of non-availability of adequate quantity of blood in the banks to transfuse. No thanks to myths and misconceptions about blood donation among the public. Many are still  fearful of donating blood because of misconceptions about what they assume to be the effects on the donor, despite appreciable improvement in access to information nowadays.

    When called upon to donate blood either for replacement purposes or during annual global blood donation campaigns, many fiercely rebuff such calls because of their belief that giving their blood is injurious to their own health; many feel donating blood will make them weak and susceptible to sicknesses. It is also assumed  that donors may contract dangerous infections, such as HIV from donating blood. Even many educated minds who  mouth their desire to give blood often end up claiming they are too busy to afford the time to donate; while, some cite their clinical fear of needles for preventing them from donating. Worse still, in Nigeria and other African countries where devotion to religions is gradually assuming frightening levels of human fanaticism, many readily decline to give blood by hinging their position on religious or cultural reasons.

    However, such fears and myths about blood donation are unfounded, said Akanmu. Donating blood voluntarily is an act of selflessness, since making a gift of blood is not  compelled by law, he added. Unlike giving to charity, which is sometimes veiled by economic, political or socio-cultural motives, the act of donating blood is purely to save lives. Victims of illnesses like blood cancer, hemophilia, as well as those who need trauma care need blood transfusions to stay alive.

    As Akanmu explained it, by donating blood, many whose situation may otherwise be hopeless are saved through transfusion. This is only possible when blood is readily available in the bank, as such patients in critical need may not be assured of having a second lease of life if blood becomes unavailable.

    “When you donate blood, you impact not only the patient whose life may depend on your donation, but also all those who depend on that patient. The entire community will benefit from the spirit of generosity,” he said.

    “When we say transfusion requirement, we are referring to conditions that normally require that blood is given to an individual. Top on the list of such conditions are ghastly road accidents, building collapse, and gun injuries. These are things that just occur for one reason or the other.

    “There are also standard medical conditions, which will always occur in any given community for which we will require transfusion to manage. Top on the list of these medical conditions are obstetric women or women whose uterus refuses to contract after giving birth, resulting in massive bleeding (postpartum heamorrahge). Or some women who develop bleeding conditions during pregnancy, particularly when their placenta is abnormally located. These dire obstetric situations consume the large chunk of blood transfusion in many hospitals.

    “There is also surgical bleeding or bloody operation (when a patient does not stop bleeding during surgery). There are also transfusion dependent anaemias. All these occur naturally in every community. That is why it is necessary to have at least five per cent of eligible donor population to donate blood at least once in a year to be able to meet the transfusion requirement of that community. If you assume that Nigeria is just a community and if you assume that there are 200 million of us living in Nigeria, the eligible donor population (people between 18 and 65; the stratum of population that is capable of donating blood), let us assume it is about  80 million people. You are saying of five per cent of about 90 million people must donate blood at least once in a year to be able to meet the transfusion requirement of Nigeria.

    “If we go by that arithmetic, Nigeria needs to collect at least 5 million pants of blood for Nigeria to say it has collected sufficient amount of blood to meet her transfusion requirement. But how much of blood do we collect per annum in Nigeria. The last time the estimate was done in Nigeria, it was 1.5 million units of blood, a far cry from what Nigeria needs to collect per annum to meet her transfusion requirement,” Akanmu said.

    The implication of not having enough people to donate blood voluntarily is that many women will continue to die from pregnancy-related heamorrhage.

    “What this implies is that a lot of our people are dying unnecessarily from gunshot injuries because we are not able to meet transfusion requirement. It also means a lot of our people are dying as a result of ghastly road accidents because a number of accident victims that make it to the hospital will not be salvaged because there is no blood in the blood bank. This is because we are collecting less than the quantity that is estimated to be our blood transfusion requirement,” he said.

  • Firm seeks awareness on blood donation

    MORE awareness on blood donation topped the

    interactive session organised by Life Bank, a blood distributor, in Yaba, Lagos.

    As Nigeria marked the World Blood Donor Day on June 14, the firm lamented that in Africa, only South Africa, Rwanda and Zambia, have their 100 per cent blood supply from voluntary donors, and that Nigeria had no excuse for not taking a foremost position.

    Life Bank founder Temie Giwa-Tubosun said her firm would not back down from its advocacy for voluntary blood donors.

    She said: “Aside advocacy and awareness on voluntary blood donation, there is the need to also educate Nigerians where and how they can donate blood. We still have a considerable level of ignorance in this part of the world and many Nigerians sometimes express fear when issues on blood donations are being discussed. This is why Blood Bank, apart from doing business, now has a novel application, a donor platform that helps the general public become blood donors.”

    Citing Nigeria, Giwa-Tunbosun said research revealed that between 30  and 60 per cent of blood donations were from commercial donors, as well as from family and friends, while voluntary donor constituted only 10 per cent.

    However, beyond blood donation, Giwa-Tunbosun noted that it was important to preserve it to guard against infections, such as HIV, adding that about 18 per cent of new HIV infections has been attributed to unsafe blood transfusion.

    “It is important to know that blood is safe before use, a lot of times, you found out that people get most diseases from blood. Apart from HIV, there is hapatitis and syphilis which you can contract from unsafe blood,” she explained.

    Taking reporters around the firm’s facilities, such as its newly-acquired Smart Bank, a new technology that guarantees blood safety, she said: “This product basically takes report about blood, where it was collected, who did the collections, was the donor safe, information around testing, what test was conducted, when the test was conducted and what was the result of the test.”

    According to her, the new facility has helped in keeping blood safe and reducing infection.

  • Health minister calls for voluntary blood donation to save lives

    Health minister calls for voluntary blood donation to save lives

    Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehianire has called on Nigerians to voluntarily donate blood so as to save lives.

    Ehianire who urge more people to take interest in blood donation noted that only 10% of the country’s national blood supply is from voluntary donations, while 60% comes from commercial blood donors and 30% from family members.

    The minister who was speaking on the occasion marking the 2016 World Blood Donor Day with the theme “Blood connects us all” said the trend needed to be reversed towards attaining 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation by the year 2020.

    In this light, he said NBTS bill which will grant the NBTS the autonomy it requires to carry out it’s mandate was being prepared for submission to the Federal Executive Council and onward transmission to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill.

    The minister further revealed that “considerable progress has also been made in institutionalizing a blood rotation scheme with leakages established with hospitals in both urban and rural communities.
    This he said, “Will ensure increased access to safe blood and impact our maternal and child health indices, positively.”

    Ehianire, who urged Nigerians to voluntarily donate blood, said this has become necessary to “meet the ever increasing need for safe blood in Nigeria, the present estimated blood need of about 1.7 million units per annum.”

    This figures he whoever said might increase when juxtaposed with the current burden of sickle cell disease, which is estimated to be around 3.5 million cases.

    Currently, the blood collection for 2015 was 60,385 units while 45,394 units of blood were used for blood transfusion purposes in various hospitals nationwide.

    The minister also warned that any infected blood transfused has serious consequences, and NBTS needs adequate funding to ensure consistent supply of safe blood, a task which requires the support of the Federal Government, multilateral and bilateral agencies and Non-Governmental Organisation.

    Speaking on what NBTS would need to be effective and efficient annually, Head of the agency,  Dr. Olwatoyin Smith, it  will need about $5 million dollars annually to provide adequate and reliable supply of safe blood.

    She said, “What the NBTS actually required to survive on a yearly basis is upward of $5 million.”
    She however said that the agency was very happy with what has been budget for it in 2016.
    She said the N28 million budget for NBTS was a far cry to what it has been getting in time past hoping that the figure will however  be doubled in the coming years.

    Also, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, on World Blood Donor Day 2016 said Blood transfusion has an essential life-saving role in all aspects of health care including maternal and child care, particularly in cases of haemorrhage during or after childbirth, severe anaemia; for victims of trauma and accidents; and in the event of man-made and natural disasters. It also supports complex medical and surgical procedures in health care, among others.

    In the WHO African Region, he said “the demand for transfusion of blood and blood products is high and the national blood transfusion services are facing the challenge of making sufficient, safe and quality blood and blood products available. From 2013 to 2016, blood donations rose from about 3.9 million units to 4.4 million units. That is 11.4 percent of increase, but this will still cover only around 50 percent of the annual requirement of blood. So far, only 21 countries are collecting 80 to 100 percent of their national blood needs through voluntary unpaid blood donors.

    “The shortage of blood in most countries in the African Region is often due to the weak implementation of policies, and lack of systems and structures to ensure an adequate supply of safe blood and blood products to meet the needs of all patients requiring transfusion. In addition, most young people and adults have not yet embraced the culture of voluntarism when it comes to blood donation.

    “I express my gratitude to voluntary unpaid blood donor for their regular blood donation and thank blood donor associations, nongovernmental organizations and volunteer groups which are working alongside health workers to make safe blood available throughout the African Region.

    “Concrete actions are needed to improve the safety, quality, accessibility and timely availability of blood and blood products in the African Region. As we commemorate World Blood Donor Day, I call upon every healthy person, national health officials, patient groups, professional societies, civil society organizations, the private sector and international organizations to work towards ensuring their countries’ self-sufficiency in safe blood and blood products. This will contribute towards achieving universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goals in the African Region.

    “WHO remains committed to continue to provide technical support to Member States to strengthen service delivery and safety as well as improve access to safe blood and blood products for patients in need in the African Region.”

  • Celebrating world blood donor day

    Celebrating world blood donor day

    On many occasions, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stressed the need for constant voluntary blood donation to save lives and contribute to healthy and reliable blood supply system.

    The organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have similarly developed a global framework for action to boost voluntary blood donation across the world.

    WHO says the framework is designed to provide guidance and support to countries seeking to establish effective voluntary blood donor programmes, phase out family/replacement blood donation and eliminate paid donation.

    “The vision embodied in this framework is the achievement of 100 per cent voluntary non-remunerated blood donation in every country of the world.

    “It is based on the recognition that voluntary non-remunerated blood donors are the foundation of a safe, sustainable blood supply,’’ the organisation observes.

    The organisation’s framework on boosting blood donation notwithstanding, analysts insist there is not adequate supply of safe blood and blood services, particularly in Nigeria and other developing nations.

    They, therefore, call on stakeholders to raise awareness on the need to donate blood voluntarily as the world celebrates another edition of World Donor Day.

    On every June 14, the world celebrates the day; bringing to the fore the importance of blood donation and appreciating those people that donate blood to the sick that need it.

    Analysts observe that awareness campaign during previous observances of the day has improved the level of blood donation.

    Highlighting the importance of the theme of the day: “Blood connects us all’’, they insist that blood transfusion helps patients suffering from variety of life-threatening health conditions and stimulates them to live a longer quality life.

    According to them, the theme highlights stories of people, whose lives have been saved through blood donation, thanking blood donors for their gift of life and encouraging people to care for one another.

    However, a public health physician, Dr Baba Ahmed, who works with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Abuja, said an adequate blood supply could only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors.

    According to him, only 62 countries have national blood supplies based on close to 100 per cent voluntary unpaid blood donations, the remaining countries continue to depend on family and paid donors.

    Ahmed said that “blood is a medium for management of health situations and for treatment of medical illnesses and there is no real product that can replace blood.

    “You can’t give goat blood to human beings and when people require blood, it must be from a healthy person.’’

    Ahmed, however, called for voluntary blood donation, saying that blood loss contributed 38 per cent maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.

    “There may be some situations that the mother or the new baby will require transfusion and if there is no blood, it can lead to death.

    “In pregnancy, a woman is predisposed to certain medical condition and she might require blood therapy.

    “So it needs to be made available, but the problem is that we practise emergency blood medicine; it is at emergency situation that we look for blood. Such practice affects maternal and child health,’’ he said.

    Sharing similar view, the President, Association of Resident Doctors in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Dr Abdulsalam Moruf, said blood donation would benefit both the patients and the donors in many ways.

    “When you give blood, it also serves as a way of doing check-up, because blood donation requires tests including blood pressure, hepatitis, HIV and other ailments.

    “Also, people who donate blood reduce excess iron in the body which predisposes one to cardiovascular diseases.

    “Donation itself acts as a form of exercise, because if one pint is collected, one will be losing about 650 calories,’’ he said.

    To encourage blood donation, he said no fewer than 50 doctors donated blood at LASUTH for those in need.

    “The donation was part of the programmes lined up for the Annual General Meeting of the association during which 50 pints of blood were donated by the doctors,’’ he said.

    Moruf reiterated that the exercise was a way of encouraging people to voluntarily donate blood to those in need.

    “As leaders of the profession, we will take the lead, not only in treating our patients but also in donating blood to them,’’ Moruf said.

    Similarly, a volunteer blood donor, Dr Jimi Shodipo, said that blood donation was a way of giving back to the society and saving lives.

    He said there was shortage of blood in the country, adding that blood donation was a way of bridging the gap.

    Shodipo said many people did not cultivate the culture of donating blood due to belief that donating blood would affect their health.

    “This is why we doctors have volunteered to donate blood to lead by example.

    “It also demystifies the notion that giving blood will make us ill. We also want to discourage commercial blood donation where people will get paid to donate blood,’’ he said.

    But Dr Omo Izedonmwen, National Coordinator, NBTS, Abuja, said that the organisation had not been adequately funded since the withdrawal of international donor.

    He, therefore, solicited more funding from stakeholders to enable the centre meet its target.

    “Most of our equipment are obsolete and they need change; most of them do not have long life span,’’ he said.

    Izedonmwen said that NBTS needed more financial and technical aids to expand its activities by engaging more workers in its strategic drive to transform blood transfusion in Nigeria.

    He identified cultural barriers and public myths as some of the factors militating against blood donation in Nigeria, saying “there is no alternative to blood.’’

    The coordinator tasked the media to play primary role of sensitising the public to the importance of voluntary blood donation.

    “We have achieved a lot, but we have yet to be where we ought to be; on daily basis two or more persons come to donate blood; we are gradually getting there,’’ he said.

    All the same, stakeholders insist that blood donation saves lives and continues to enliven the theme of the day -“Blood connects us all’’ in the minds of Nigerians.

     

  • Rotary partners Lagos on blood donation

    Rotary partners Lagos on blood donation

    The Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Lagos has thrown its weight behind the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC) drive to save lives through blood donation to the blood bank for the use of the needy.

    Its president Mrs Remi Akinterinwa said the availability of blood for medical needs at emergencies in the hospitals was critical to the survival of patients, particularly accidents victims.

    The state Blood Transfusion Service Executive Secretary Dr Modupe Olaiya, said: “blood is essential to the body and shortage of it reduces body function and may even lead to death. A lot of people who are in critical conditions in hospitals are in short of it and need to be given blood”.

    Olaiya identified road accident victims, surgical patients and those with burns as patients who need blood.

    Others according to him are people with sickle cell disease, cancer patients, Anaemia and malaria patients with low blood level.

    Speaking after making a donation to the LSBTC, Mrs Akinterianwa described blood donation is a humanitarian gesture of giving life and saving life”.

  • Military hospital’s chief appeals for blood donation

    Nigerians have been urged to voluntarily donate blood to save the lives of security personnel and civilians injured in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast.

    The Commander, Military Hospital, Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Nathan Okeji, made the appeal yesterday at the Armed Forces Blood Centre during the commemoration of this year’s World Blood Donor Day in the Rivers State capital.

    He said the military had begun collecting blood from donors for this purpose.

    Many military personnel and civilians who needed blood urgently, Brig.-Gen. Okeji said, could not afford it as a unit of blood costs N50, 000.

    He added: “The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside today to celebrate and encourage people to freely donate blood to save the lives of accident victims and surgery patients, among others.

    “This blood donation exercise is targeted at getting as much blood as possible to enable patients who need blood have access to it at little or no cost,”

    The commandant, who is also the coordinator of Armed Forces Blood Bank, said more than 200 units of blood were needed for distribution to injured military personnel and civilians nationwide.

    His words: “When more than 200 units of blood are realised, they will be taken to Northeast and the Niger Delta, where there are problems of Boko Haram and militancy.

    “We are asking that as many people as possible should come out and freely donate blood, so that lives can be saved.”

    The exercise, according to the commander, also affords donors the opportunity to be freely screened for HIV and other blood-related ailments.

    The Chief Nursing Officer of the Federal Ministry of Health and Donor Care Manager, Mrs. Umah Imaobong, said the nation needed at least 10,000 units of blood monthly.

    She said that 200 units of blood currently realised on monthly basis was grossly inadequate, adding that there was severe shortage of blood in hospitals across the country.

    “Blood is not something that can be substituted. When a doctor says a patient needs blood, there is no other alternative than to provide the blood.

    “Failure to provide the blood will lead to death of the patient.”

    Imaobong said that accident victims, sickle cell carriers, pregnant women, surgery and HIV patients, among others, needed blood on daily basis to survive.

    “Thousands of people are dying on daily because they cannot have access to blood; whereas their lives could have been saved, if people made it a habit to donate blood.”

    Imaobong urged members of the public between the ages of 18 and 65 to visit military hospitals to donate blood.

  • Pushing the frontiers of blood donation

    Pushing the frontiers of blood donation

    Seven years ago, her life was saved by blood transfusion. Today, the Country Group Head of Novartis Pharma Services, Mrs Vera Nwanze, is an advocate of blood donation. Last week, she led 120 others to donate blood at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

    In Nigeria, voluntary blood donation has not become a culture. People are not used to donating blood because they do not know its importance.  As human beings, we need blood to live. In times of emergency, doctors need blood to save lives. They can only do so when there is blood in the bank.

    Many public hospitals run a blood bank where people voluntarily donate blood after undergoing some tests.

    In most cases, the blood banks are empty because there are no donors. The essence of blood in the handling of emergencies was brought to the fore after the April 14 suicide bombings at the Nyanya Park in Abuja where scores were killed. The hospitals where the injured were rushed to were short of blood. Faced with such a situation, they called for voluntary donation.

    Among those who came forward were the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock, and  House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

    But, must it take an emergency to get people to voluntarily donate blood? In most cases it does. The good thing is that some beneficiaries have come to see the need to be champions of blood donation and are encouraging others to do so.

    One of such persons, who is pushing the frontiers of blood donation, is the Country Group Head of Novartis Pharma Services, Nigeria, Mrs Vera Nwanze.

    Mrs Nwanze is alive today, thanks to blood transfusion. She was transfused with blood seven years ago to save her life.

    She said: “My life was saved by a stranger in a 20-minute exercise prior to my distressed situation. The blood donor came to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), as a routine and it turned out that part of the donated blood, platelet, and later the whole blood were crucial for my survival.”

    Mrs Nwanze said she was preparing for work, when she felt a pain in her abdomen. “The pain was indescribable; it was such that even whenever my arm rubbed slightly against my stomach, it was as if someone was pricking me with multi-pronged needles.

    “I also noticed that my stomach was distended. And though my husband is a medical worker, both of us were at a loss as to what might have gone wrong all of a sudden,” she said.

    Unknown to her, she was pregnant  and although she felt “funny” a few days earlier, she could not identify the problem.

    At the hospital, a doctor diagnosed the possible cause of her condition, and with a simple test confirmed that Nrs Nwanze had ectopic pregnancy; which had caused severe internal bleeding.

    “The doctors confirmed that by the time I reached the hospital, I had bled approximately three-quarters of my blood into my abdomen,” she stated.

    Well, by this time, she had lost consciousness; and the doctors battled to save her life, the platelet was handy. She was supported with oxygen mask.

    “In all,” she said, “I took four pints of blood, which saved my life. The implication is that if someone, somewhere, had not done that charitable deed called blood donation, perhaps I would have died. And that is why physicians urge us to donate blood because it saves lives.”

    Mrs Nwanze said she didn’t need much persuasion before she volunteered to become a  blood donor. Last Friday, she led no fewer than 120 persons to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to donate blood.

    Dressed in white T-shirts and caps with red designs, they marched round Idi-Araba, Lagos, enroute to  LUTH. On their way, they shared IEC (information; education and communication) materials to encourage others.

    It was the firm’s Community Partnership Day )CPD) to commemorate the merger that created Novartis in 1996. This year’s initiative was aimed at driving awareness on blood donation, where staff across the country in partnership with key hospitals to donate blood voluntarily.

    Receiving the donors, the Head of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Medicine, Prof Sulaiman Akanmu, explained the significance of blood donation.

    Akanmu said their contribution was important for a healthy and reliable blood supply for the hospital, adding: “And you’ll feel good knowing you’ve helped change a life. Most Nigerians don’t donate blood because of their ignorance. What obtains mostly are blood-replacement donations.”

    He said there could be no transfusion medicine without blood donors.

    “This is because hospitals at all levels need blood for short and long term use. Nigeria currently operates below World Health Organisation recommendation, which stipulates that in order to meet the blood need of a community, five per cent of the population must have donated blood at least once a year.

    “For a population of over 160 million, the nation needs between seven and eight million units of blood per annum. Nigeria is currently grossly underserved, as the nation only has between one and 1.7 million units of blood for its huge population.”

    For those who nurse fears about blood donation, Akanmu said the donor’s body immediately begins to replenish the lost blood; hence, there are no negative consequences from the exercise.

    According to him, donations are the only way of obtaining blood because, despite medical and technological advances, blood cannot be made.

    He said:“The only way of getting hold of it is via blood donations. Blood can be defined as the fluid we have in our bodies that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It also carries waste to be eliminated from the body.  We have between four and six litres of blood in the adult bodies.

    “Each donation may help up to save three different people, because each blood donation provides three different blood components, each with its own role in treating patients. Red blood cell concentrates which can be kept for 42 days. Plasma; can be stored for a year and Platelets that can be kept for five days. Blood and its components have a limited life. Blood is used everyday.”

    He told the prospective donors that it is not everybody that can donate, that they must undergo some checks.

    He said: “We have to ensure the wellbeing of both potential donors and recipients, especially in the age of HIV, Hepatitis B and other blood-related diseases. For instance, anybody that had collected money in exchange for sex before cannot donate.”

    Akanmu explains why: “We have the responsibility to ensure that all blood being transfused is safe and free of all diseases. There are only few conditions in which donors are permanently excluded. The donor with history of epilepsy, psychotic disorders, abnormal bleeding tendencies, severe asthma, cardiovascular disorders, and malignancy are permanently unfit for blood donation. Donors suffering from diseases, such as hepatitis, malaria, measles, mumps, and syphilis, may donate blood after full recovery with three to six months gap. Also people who have undergone surgery, blood transfusion may safely donate blood after six to 12 months. For woman donors who are pregnant or lactating, blood is not taken as their iron reserves are already on the low side. Donors should be between 18 and 55 years  with a weight of 50 kg or above and pulse rate, body temperature and blood pressure in order.”

    A worker, Mr. Arun Raj, an Asian, said donating blood was one area of duty he doesn’t joke with. Raj, who works with WWCV Ltd, a partner institute of Novartis, said he had made it a habit to donate blood wherever providence takes him.

    “I’ve donated blood so many times in India, and now I’m here doing the same thing. I love humanity; and this is my own little way of helping someone in need, even when I don’t know that person,” he said.

    For 20-year old 500 Level pharmacy student of the College of Medicine University of lagos (CMUL), Innocent Ijeoma, who turned out as the youngest blood donor at the event, his participation is purely for medical reasons.

    “As a pharmacist in the making, I am conversant with the scientific fact that when you donate blood, you are inherently helping yourself. To start with, donating blood improves your overall cardiovascular health, because when the level of iron in your blood is high, it increases your risk of heart disease.

    “What this translates into is that when you are a regular blood donor, especially as a male, it helps remarkably in reducing the amount of iron in your blood; and this can reduce your risk of heart attack by 88 per cent; or the risk of severe cardiovascular events such as stroke by 33 per cent,” he stated.

    Ijeoma said he had been a regular blood donor since his late teens, which is his own way of contributing to the drive for universal health care delivery in the country.

    The firm donated blood register, index and IEC materials on blood donation to the hospital. The donors’ pulse; blood pressure; body temperature and haemoglobin were checked before the exercise.

  • Pushing the frontiers of blood donation

    Pushing the frontiers of blood donation

    Seven years ago, her life was saved by blood transfusion. Today, the country group Head of Novartis Pharma Services, Mrs Vera Nwanze, is an advocate of blood donation. Last week, she led 120 others to donate blood at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

    In Nigeria, blood donation has not caught on. Many Nigerians are afraid of donating blood because they do not know the importance of voluntary blood donation. Blood is the engine of the human system. To live, a person needs blood. In times of emergency, doctors also need blood to save lives. They can only do so when there is blood  in the bank.

    Many public hospitals run a blood bank where people voluntarily donate blood after undergoing some tests.

    In most cases, their blood banks are empty because people refused to come and donate blood. The essence of blood in the handling of emergencies was brought home during the April 14 suicide bombing at the Nyanya Park in Abuja where scores were killed. The hospitals where the injured were rushed to were short of blood. Faced with such a situation, they called for voluntary donation.

    Among those who came forward were the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock and  House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

    But, must it take an emergency to get people to voluntarily donate blood? In most cases it does. The good thing is that some beneficiaries have come to see the need to be champions of blood donation and are encouraging others to join the group. One of such persons, who is pushing the frontiers of blood donation, is the Country Group Head of Novartis Pharma Services, Nigeria, Mrs Vera Nwanze.

    Mrs Nwanze is alive today, thanks to blood transfussion. She was transfused with blood seven years ago to save her life.

    She recalls: “My life was saved by a stranger in a 20-minute exercise prior to my distressed situation. ”The blood donor”, Mrs Nwanze said, “came in to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), as a routine and it turned out that part of the donated blood, platelet, and later the whole blood were crucial for my survival.”

    Mrs Nwanze said she was preparing for work, she felt a   pain in her abdomen. “The pain was indescribable; it was such that even whenever my arm rubbed slightly against my stomach, it was as if someone was pricking me with multi-pronged needles.

    “I also noticed that my stomach was distended. And though my husband is a medical worker, both of us were at a loss as to what might have gone wrong all of a sudden,” she said.

    Unknown to her, she was pregnant  and although she felt “funny” a few days earliershe could not identify the problem.

    At the hospital, a doctor diagnosed the possible cause of her condition, and with a simple test confirmed that Nrs Nwanze had ectopic pregnancy; and it had resulted in severe internal bleeding. “The doctors confirmed that by the time I reached the hospital, I had bled approximately three-quarters of my blood into my abdomen,” she stated.

    Well, by this time, she had lost consciousness; and the doctors battled to save her life, the platelet was handy. She was supported with oxygen mask.

    “In all,” she said, “I took four pints of blood, which saved my life. The implication is that if someone, somewhere, had not done that charitable deed called blood donation, perhaps I would have died. And that is why physicians urge us to donate blood because it saves lives.”

    Mrs Nwanze said she didn’t need much persuasion before she volunteered to become a  blood donor. Last Friday, she led no fewer than 120 persons  the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to donate blood.

    Dressed in white T-shirt and caps with red designs they  marched round Idi-Araba, Lagos, enroute to  LUTH. On their way, they shared IEC (information; education and communication) materials to encourage others.

    It was the firm’s Community Partnership Day )CPD) to commemorate the merger that created Novartis in 1996. This year’s initiative was aimed at driving awareness on blood donation, where staff across the country in partnership with key hospitals to donate blood voluntarily.

    Receiving the donors, the Head of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Medicine, Prof Sulaiman Akanmu, explained the significance of blood donation.

    Akanmu said their contribution was important for a healthy and reliable blood supply for the hospital, adding: “And you’ll feel good knowing you’ve helped change a life. Most Nigerians don’t donate blood because of their ignorance. What obtains mostly are blood-replacement donations.”

    He said there could be no transfusion medicine without blood donors.

    “This is because hospitals at all levels need blood for short and long term use. Nigeria currently operates below World Health Organisation recommendation, which stipulates that in order to meet the blood need of a community, five per cent of the population must have donated blood at least once a year.

    “For a population of over 160 million, the nation needs between seven and eight million units of blood per annum. Nigeria is currently grossly underserved, as the nation only has between one and 1.7 million units of blood for its huge population.”

    As for those who still nurse fears about blood donation, Akanmu assured that the donor’s body immediately begins to replenish the lost blood; hence, there are no negative consequences from the exercise.

    According to him, donations are the only way of obtaining blood because, despite medical and technological advances, blood cannot be made.

    He said:“The only way of getting hold of it is via blood donations from people who give blood. Blood can be defined as the fluid we have in our bodies that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It also carries waste to be eliminated from the body.  We have between four and six litres of blood in the adult bodies.

    “Each donation may help up to save three different people, because each blood donation provides three different blood components, each with its own role in treating patients. Red blood cell concentrates which can be kept for 42 days. Plasma; can be stored for a year and Platelets that can be kept for five days. Blood and its components have a limited life. Blood is used everyday.”

    Akanmu said giving blood was part of the routine as a hospital. “People don’t just need to start giving blood in the event of tragedies or emergencies. Instead, it should be a normal and routine part of our lives. Regular blood donations mean that there will be sufficient amounts of safe blood in stock.

    He informed the prospective donors that it is not everybody that can donate, that they must undergo some checks.

    He said: “We have to ensure the wellbeing of both potential donors and recipients, especially in the age of HIV, Hepatitis B and other blood-related diseases. For instance, anybody that had collected money in exchange for sex before cannot donate.”

    There was an uneasy laughter and side comments. He explained the reasons: “We have the responsibility to ensure that all blood being transfused is safe and free of all diseases. There are only few conditions in which donors are permanently excluded. The donor with history of epilepsy, psychotic disorders, abnormal bleeding tendencies, severe asthma, cardiovascular disorders, and malignancy are permanently unfit for blood donation. Donors suffering from diseases, such as hepatitis, malaria, measles, mumps, and syphilis, may donate blood after full recovery with three to six months gap. Also people who have undergone surgery, blood transfusion may safely donate blood after six to 12 months. For woman donors who are pregnant or lactating, blood is not taken as their iron reserves are already on the low side. Donors should be between 18 to 55 years of age with a weight of 50 kg or above and pulse rate, body temperature and blood pressure in order.”

    Akanmu said more people should become voluntary donors as some of the reasons people need blood are inevitable, such as accidents, cancer, sickle cell, premature birth, obstetrics and gynaecological reasons, surgery or war.

    He said:“Almost all serious health issues use blood donated by people like you and I to save lives. Blood that is donated last a little more than 40 days. Then it must be disposed of. That means we need to constantly replenish the blood bank. Your blood could save a baby, a child, a mother, father, a grandfather or a grandmother. Our body has 5.5 litres of blood of which only 350 ml to 450 ml of blood is taken depending upon weight of donor. Majority of healthy adults can tolerate withdrawal of one unit of blood. The withdrawn blood volume is restored within 24 hours and the haemoglobin and cell components are restored in two months. Therefore, it is safe to donate blood every three months.”

    “Blood donation is one of the noblest work. But, myths about blood donation are rife. In spite of the various reasons for donating blood and encouraging others to do it, there are only a few who actually do it due to the facts and myths regarding blood donation. Many organisations organise blood donation camps but they get only few participants, this is a pitiable condition. There are too many myths associated with this noble cause that should be completely eradicated as soon as possible.

    “Such myths include such perception women and girls cannot donate blood. Blood Bank is a commercial and profit making activity or for rituals. Government hospitals prohibit blood from private blood banks. Again, it is wrongly believed that blood donation leads to weakness. The fact remains that blood donation never leads to weakness,  instead, it brings in new energy.”

    The donors’ pulse; blood pressure; body temperature and haemoglobin were checked in preparation for the exercise.

    A worker, Mr. Arun Raj, an Asian, said donating blood was one area of duty he doesn’t joke with. Raj, who works with WWCV Ltd, a partner institute of Novartis, said he had made it a habit to donate blood wherever providence takes him.

    “I’ve donated blood so many times in India, and now I’m here doing the same thing. I love humanity; and this is my own little way of helping someone in need, even when I don’t know that person,” he said.

    For 20 year old 500 Level pharmacy student of the Lagos University College of Medicine (CMUL), Idi-Araba, Innocent Ijeoma, who turned out as the youngest blood donor at the one day event, his participation is purely for medical reasons.

    “As a pharmacist in the making, I am conversant with the scientific fact that when you donate blood, you are inherently helping yourself. To start with, donating blood improves your overall cardiovascular health, because when the level of iron in your blood is high, it increases your risk of heart disease.

    “What this translates into is that when you are a regular blood donor, especially as a male, it helps remarkably in reducing the amount of iron in your blood; and this can reduce your risk of heart attack by 88 per cent; or the risk of severe cardiovascular events such as stroke by 33 per cent,” he stated.

    Ijeoma said he had been a regular blood donor since his late teens, which is his own way of contributing to the drive for universal health care delivery in the country.

    The firm donated blood register, index and IEC materials on blood donation to the hospital. The donors’ pulse; blood pressure; body temperature and haemoglobin were checked before the exercise.