THE NEED FOR VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION

HEALTH TIPS

Hello friends

  This is passionate call for you to see the need to donate blood VOLUNTARY ...people all over the world constantly become victims of life threatening diseases or terrible accidents. Often many of them are saved by timely safe blood transfusions. Situations which were previously terminal are now not so fatal thanks to blood banks that contain screened safe blood donated by individuals. Blood banks are available because people donate blood voluntarily and this ensures availability of blood especially during emergencies. Blood donors are selfless individuals who have expressed the highest form of love for mankind.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria the situation is bad; Blood banks across the country have abysmal low blood supply, because people hardly provide voluntary blood donations. As a nation, we need to develop the culture of foresight and empathy towards others. The average Nigerian does not donate blood, unless compelled by circumstance, usually when a loved one is in need. This is indeed disturbing, as the world health organization (WHO) recommends that blood donations should in all cases be absolutely voluntary, with the altruistic motive of helping the unknown. This however, is hardly the case in Nigeria. This is why other African countries such as south Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe have better blood donation culture than we do at present.

There is the need for aggressive public enlightenment, because a lot of Nigerians have superstitious beliefs hindering them from donating blood voluntarily. Many people including some of those perceived as enlightened, wrongfully believe that if they donate blood to blood banks, it may be used negatively against them for ritual purposes.

The situation needs to be addressed immediately; statistics indicate that 40% of deaths on account of accidents occur due to hemorrhage (blood loss from bleeding) that cannot be helped as a result of unavailability of blood. Furthermore, Nigeria has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world largely owing to unavailability of blood when bleeding complications occur during labour..

There is an urgent need for more voluntary blood donors to replace commercial blood donors who donate blood in exchange for money and family replacement donors. There is a risk with these two groups. They tend to hide health history which may disqualify them as healthy donors and since they usually donate during emergency when there is little time for proper screening, there is the risk of giving the recipient unsafe blood. According to the blood transfusion service (NBTS), 10% of HIV/AIDS infections in the country are caused by unscreened blood, hence the need for VOLUNTARY BLOOD donations, where blood donors are considered the safest source of blood, with low prevalence of transfusion transmissible infection (TTI) like HIV, hepatitis B, malaria and other diseases.

The National Blood Transfusion service (NBTS) should be commended for its struggle and its encouragement of VOLUNTARY BLOOD donations especially among youths and for promulgating standard guidelines for medical assessment and selection of donors in Nigeria.

HoweverHowever, all hands must be on deck, as the task belongs to everyone. Traditional, religious and community leaders should encourage and mobilize people to donate blood voluntarily. Media organizations as public watch dogs should launch campaigns aimed at enlightening people about the importance of blood transfusion. Everyone should visit a blood transfusion centre and donate blood in order to save a life today
                                                                           By Ummi Bukar

This message is from the National Blood Transfusion service.. Federal ministry of health for further information visit www.nbts.org.ng