Friday, March 29, 2024

More Investment In Blood Is Key To Better Healthcare For Africa

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By PHILANA MUGYENYI

Across the globe, blood continues to be more in demand than ever before.

The many reasons for that include rising numbers of non-communicable diseases, increasing the availability of new surgeries, national and institutional policies, lack of infrastructure and trained personnel, and limited financial resources to support a voluntary non-remunerated donor transfusion service — not to mention existing and emerging threats of transfusion-transmitted infection.

These factors limit supply.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates Kenya’s annual blood requirement at 450,000 units, which is expected to rise with population growth. That means, to achieve blood sufficiency, at least one per cent of Kenyans must donate blood once a year.

However, too few blood donors, lack of prioritisation for blood in the health development agenda, minimal investment in the blood sector and capacity gaps in the healthcare system are all major obstacles to meeting this target.

Sadly, the people most affected by the blood shortage are women and children, especially during childbirth. Post-partum haemorrhage (blood loss after delivery) is the leading cause of maternal deaths in the first 24 hours after childbirth…Read more>>

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