Health Minister Reveals FG Plans To Establish Blood Service Commission And Trauma Centre

Nigeria’s health minister Isaac Adewole in Abuja announced to newsman that the federal ministry of health is currently preparing law that will see the establishment of a National Blood Service Commission as well as 17 trauma care centres across the nation. Making this known on Thursday, 15th June 2017 in the nation capital, during a commemoration organized to make the World Blood Donor Day, the minister noted that the bill which is to be presented to the Federal Executive Council as an Executive bill, will grant the National Blood Transfusion Service, NBTS the autonomy it needs to carry out its function in line with the rest of the world.

Isaac Adewole

He said the NBTS will have the proper mandate to provide safe, quality and adequate blood in an equitable and cost-effective manner to all people resident in Nigeria. While lamenting the lack of blood need for transfusion as a major cause of death by many accident victims in the Africa region, Mr. Adewole urged Nigerians to donor more blood as this my help save lives. The minister was quoted saying that with the over 180 million population of people living in the country, Nigeria needs about 1.8 million units of blood per annum. The minister noted that the situation can change if the attitude of Nigerians changes by donating blood.

According to him;

“This situation needs to be reversed as we move towards the attainment of 100 per cent voluntary non- remunerated blood donation by the year 2020. The situation can improve if up to one per cent of our country’s adult population commit themselves to voluntary non-remunerated blood donation on a regular basis”

In his goodwill message, Alemu Wondimagehnehu, World Health Organisation Representative in Nigeria acknowledged the progress made so far in the area of donating save blood. He also used the media to lament the lack of blood and blood products and also the risk of infections involved during the transfusion of unsafe and untested blood. According to him;

“The serious humanitarian crises facing Africa in recent decades have revealed inadequacies of national health systems in most countries to manage health emergencies including the timely availability, security and the accessibility of blood and everybody can play a role in emergency situations by giving blood as blood transfusion is an essential component of emergency healthcare,”

The World Blood Donor Day which is celebrated around the globe on June 14 was marked this year with the slogan What can you do? Give blood. Give Often. This year is focus on creating awareness on the importance of blood donation. A recent report released by the world health organization (WHO) shows a significant improvement by the African region in the area of blood safety and availability.

According to the statistics released, voluntary unpaid blood donations showed an increase of about 10.7 million during 2008 to 2013 a figure reported by 159 countries. The highest increase by region shows South-East Asian region leading by 75% followed by African with 37%. Figures in number shows South-East Asia region get about 5.3 million donations, followed by the Western Pacific Region with about 2.8 million donations.