Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) has raised concerns over inadequate voluntary blood donations, warning that reliance on paid and family-replacement donors could leave hospitals without sufficient blood supplies during emergencies.
Director-General of NBSA, Prof. Sale Yuguda, disclosed this at a media roundtable on voluntary blood donation and the inauguration of the Media Cell for Safe Blood in Abuja.
He said Nigeria collects between 24,000 and 25,000 units of blood annually, far below the estimated national requirement of 1.8 million to two million units.
According to him, at least two per cent of the population needs to participate in voluntary blood donation to bridge the supply gap, improve access to safe blood and reduce the burden on relatives who are often compelled to find donors during medical emergencies.
Yuguda said the agency was strengthening its regulatory and monitoring systems to improve the safety, quality and traceability of blood collected and distributed nationwide.
He disclosed that NBSA was introducing a National Blood Management System, a digital platform designed to track blood collection, processing, distribution and transfusion, enabling the agency to trace every unit from donor to recipient and investigate complications.
The agency is also strengthening the registration and regulation of public and private blood banks, insisting that hospitals and blood transfusion establishments must register and comply with approved standards.
Yuguda, who was represented by the agency’s Head of Operations Centre, Dr Aliyu Waziri, said NBSA was expanding its hospital linkage programme to improve distribution and ensure proper transportation and storage of blood.
He warned that collecting blood in ordinary coolers without appropriate temperature-control arrangements could compromise its quality and safety.
He called for government intervention to make blood available free of charge, arguing that removing financial barriers would improve access for patients requiring transfusions.
The DG added that the agency, working with international partners, had trained personnel from 30 institutions in safe blood donation and clinical transfusion practices. The programme also included training auditors to assess hospital transfusion services.
He disclosed plans to establish stem cell and blood banking services, including a database of potential stem cell donors and cord blood banking to preserve stem cells collected after childbirth for possible medical applications.
Yuguda urged journalists to tackle cultural misconceptions and promote voluntary donation through sustained public education.
Earlier, a veteran journalist and health communication advocate, Moji Makanjuola, identified misinformation and cultural beliefs as major barriers to voluntary blood donation.
She said some Nigerians wrongly believed that donating blood caused weakness, infertility, illness or permanent blood loss, urging journalists to counter such misconceptions with accurate information from health professionals.
Makanjuola also called for improved healthcare infrastructure, particularly electricity and blood storage facilities at primary healthcare centres, warning that inadequate equipment could compromise blood safety.
She advocated year-round donation campaigns rather than emergency appeals when patients urgently needed transfusions.
Also speaking, Programme Manager, Social and Behaviour Change Communication, International Society of Media in Public Health, Samiru Isa, said Nigeria faced a 40 per cent shortfall in its required blood reserves.
He identified cultural and religious reservations, fear of infections and misinformation as major obstacles to voluntary donation. Isa said the campaign aimed to recruit more unpaid donors across the six geopolitical zones, dispel misconceptions and build public confidence in NBSA.
He said the newly inaugurated Media Cell for Safe Blood would strengthen collaboration with journalists, provide credible information and sustain public awareness.
President of the Health Reporters Association of Nigeria, Joseph Kadiri, pledged the association’s commitment to sustained advocacy.
