World Blood Donor Day: NBTS seeks legal framework for blood safety in Nigeria

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World Blood Donor Day:  NBTS seeks legal framework for blood safety in Nigeria

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Olabisi Deji-Folutile

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The National Blood Transfusion Service has emphasized the need for a legislative framework to regulate blood safety activities in Nigeria.

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READ ALSO: World Blood Donor Day: Plans underway to include blood transfusion under NHIS

Speaking on this year’s World Blood Donor Day, NBTIS National Coordinator, Dr Oluwatoyin Smith, said that such regulation will enable hospitals, blood banks and other stakeholders in the blood safety field to provide up-to-date information on their activities for effective national planning.

READ ALSO: Seven reasons why you should donate blood regularly

According to her, it is difficult to ascertain if the percentage of Nigerians that donate blood has changed as the available general information suggests approximately 10 per cent.

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She said, “What we know is that voluntary non-remunerated blood donation accounts for approximately 10 per cent of the total blood collections in the country. This has not changed significantly.

“Majority of the blood donations (80 per cent) occur in the hospitals and these are mostly from family replacement donors. Moreover, it is difficult to ascertain if the situation has improved or not because there is very little data available to scientifically support it.

READ ALSO: World Blood Donor Day: NBTS enlists secondary school pupils in voluntary blood donation drive

“The question underscores the urgent need for a legislative framework to regulate all blood safety activities in Nigeria. Such legislation would mandate hospitals, blood banks and all other stakeholders in the blood safety field to report on their activities, submit relevant data that can be easily collated, validated and analyzed for effective national planning. “

She noted that factors such as low public awareness, deep cultural myths/ misconception on voluntary blood donation by the general public and eligible groups; continued insurgency/ security challenges experienced in the North East and North West geo-political zones, which has greatly reduced blood collection activities in the affected zones, contributed to the low level of voluntary blood donation among Nigerians.  “We need a sustained public education campaign about the importance of voluntary blood donations in ensuring an adequate supply of safe blood for our communities,” she said.

 

 

 

 

 

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