By Laurina B Lormia
(Cub-Reporter)
The World Health Organization (WHO) through its Regional Director, Matshidiso Moeti, has urged countries to address the persistent challenges in the availability of safe blood and blood products.
The Ministry of Health in partnership with the World Bank (WB), World Health Organization (WHO), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officially commemorated World Blood Donor Day.
The program was held on Friday, June 14, 2024, under the Theme: “increasing voluntary non-paid blood donation to ensure access to safe blood in Liberia,” bringing together hundreds of blood donors and volunteers.
Making remarks at the program on behalf of the Regional Director, Moses Jeuronlon, said blood transfusion plays a critical role in the provision of lifesaving health care.
According to him, vulnerable people, like mothers during childbirth, under-nourished and malaria-affected children, victims of trauma and accidents, and other patients who are suffering from sickle cell and chronic diseases, particularly benefit from this care.
“Despite of these improvements, countries must address the persistent challenges in the availability of safe blood and blood products. I urged our states members to uphold the blood regulatory systems we have put in place and set up a special national time to inspire citizens to donate blood” Dr. Jeuronlon added.
He encouraged donors and organizations to support their capacity-building efforts for efficient National Blood Transfusion Services while recommending that communities support those who donate blood to encourage others to donate.
He stated that, through collective efforts, they must raise adequate and sustainable funds, to build systems and capacities which will increase blood donation rates, and separate donated blood into its components that can be stored for long-term use.
“Currently, African countries collect only 5.2 units of blood for every 1000 people, below the ten donations or more per 1000 people recommended by WHO and far from the 33 units of blood per 1000 people collected in developed countries,” he stressed.
“Only 18 out of 472 countries have reached the regional target of at least 80% of blood supply from Voluntary Non-Remunerated Blood Donors but, yet, the demand for blood remains constant, while the supply often falls short,” he narrated.
“In the past decades, we have provided technical and financial support to our states members in their efforts to improve blood products availability, quality, and safety by developing and implementing policies, strategic plans, norms, standards, and guidelines, by establishing the regulatory system for blood, blood components, and blood products,” he pointed out.
He further disclosed that, they have engaged in building capacity of national regulatory authorities and National Blood Transfusion Services to execute the effective regulatory oversight and coordination needed to ensure the implementation of quality standards.
“We have also worked in strengthening collaboration with partners to promote WHO leadership in developing and implementing best practices in blood quality and safety in the region,” he added.
“The percentage of countries participating in an external quality assessment scheme for Transfusion-Transmissible Infections (TTIs) increased from 55.3% to 62.2%,” he asserted.
He concluded, the average number of blood units collected per 1000 population increased from 4.5 to 5.2 as compared to the regional target of 10 units per 1000 population, our states members in the African Region have made significant progress between 2015 to 2022, the number of countries that have fully developed a national blood policy increased from 37 in 2015 to 43 in 2022.
