Blood Service urges support to meet 308,000 units annually
The National Blood Service (NBS), Ghana, has recorded an increase in the units of blood collected across the country last year, compared to the previous year.
However, the 3.3 per cent increase from 181,288 units collected in 2023 to the 187,280 units collected last year were not enough to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended annual stock requirement of 308,000 units.
While voluntary unpaid blood donations nationwide decreased from 40 per cent in 2023 to 29 per cent in 2024, voluntary unpaid blood donations across regional blood centres increased from 49 per cent to 54 per cent within the period under review.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NBS, Dr Shirley Owusu-Ofori, who made this known at the 2024 annual performance review of the service in Accra yesterday, said blood collection index (BCI) per 1,000 population also increased from 5.9 in 2023 to 6.1 in 2024.
Giving a breakdown of the 2024 operational performance, she said “23 per cent of the blood donations were separated into blood components, with 1,085 voluntary mobile blood collection sessions, and more than 1,760 educational talks on blood donations, with 100 per cent of samples tested for all four transfusion transmissible infections markers.”
Dr Owusu-Ofori mentioned the regions that fell short of the targeted 10 units per 1,000 BCI to include Savannah, Oti and Bono, which recorded 3.8, 2.8 and 2.4 per 1,000 people respectively.
In contrast, regions such as the Upper West, Eastern and Greater Accra performed significantly better, with indices of 8.5, 7.9 and 7.7 per 1,000 persons respectively.
Public attitudes
Dr Owusu-Ofori stressed the need to shift public attitudes toward voluntary blood donation, saying, “One of our primary goals is to establish regional blood centres and strengthen public education to overcome the low acceptance of voluntary blood donation in Ghana”.
She said the service would launch a nationwide social media campaign to raise awareness, educate the public, and encourage consistent donor participation.
Dr Owusu-Ofori encouraged all Ghanaians to embrace voluntary blood donation, stressing its life-saving impact, and added that, “a single unit of blood can save multiple lives from accident victims to mothers experiencing complications during childbirth”.
The CEO of the NBS mentioned inadequate funding as a persistent challenge that hindered the activities of the service.
Commitment
The Chief Programme Officer in charge of Allied Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr Ignatius Awinibuno, who chaired the event, on behalf of the Chief Director of the ministry, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage, health equity and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said no community must be left behind.
“Let this review reinforce our resolve to leave no one behind whether in urban centres or the remotest villages,” Dr Awinibuno said.
He commended the National Blood Service management, staff and all development partners for their collective commitment to improving national health outcomes.
The Country Representative of WHO, Dr Frank Lule, in a speech read on his behalf, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to working closely with the service and other health authorities to ensure a safe and sufficient blood supply for all in need.
