As we mark World Blood Donor Day today, a special thank you to all voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
Safe blood is the most precious gift you and I can give another person, and is the true epitome of ’the gift of life’. It is a contribution that saves millions of lives globally each year, in both routine and emergency situations.
The decision to give blood can save a life or several lives, making the availability of sufficient and safe blood a key ingredient to an effective health system. In fact, it’s estimated that one pint of blood can save four lives, making it an indispensable component to health care.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, for a country to be self-sufficient in blood supply, it requires about 10-20 units per 1,000 in the population.
For Kenya this translates to at least 450,000 units or 1% of the population need to donate blood once a year. We are currently struggling to reach this target. In 2017 for example, the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) collected 149,642 units last year against a national target of 180,00 units.
This begs the question; why are we not meeting our targets? Truth is, we are usually keen on donating blood when there is a national emergency and a blood appeal is made, after which, life goes back to normal for most of us.
The only other time that the blood donation appeals are taken seriously is when people have loved ones in need of a blood transfusion. In addition to family members and friends teaming up to donate blood, we also see many appeals on mainstream and social media from desperate family and friends, hoping to save their loved ones.
While heading to these appeals is important and commendable, we have to realize that much more blood is needed every other day.
It is unfortunate that due to the recurring blood shortage in the country, women are some of the most affected due to post-partum haemorrhage. According to statistics by WHO, blood loss after delivery contributes to 35% or 287,000 of maternal deaths annually.
It also means that surgical interventions that require safe blood or its components and blood transfusion will also be difficult to do. How do we turn around this issue so that we end preventable deaths of mothers and children in line with the aspirations of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the SDGs?
This calls for a national response towards this important ingredient that saves lives!
Consistent blood donation is crucial in safeguarding mothers lives during childbirth or deaths related to malaria, road traffic accidents, sickle cell and cancer related treatments among others.
At Beyond Zero, we value partnerships because together we can achieve more. In our most recent medical safari held in West Pokot last month, we partnered with Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services in rallying the residents to donate blood. We aim to continue with this campaign in the rest of the counties that we will visit this year.
It is not every day that we get the opportunity to save a life, but that is exactly what blood donation does. Each one of us needs to make blood donation a priority. Start your journey today on World Blood Donor Day and every year, tag a friend along!
Angella Langat
Coordinator, Beyond Zero Secretariat.