This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
June 14, 2020 - Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya has joined the world in celebrating World Blood Donor Day, with the Ministry of Health conducting a nationwide blood donation drive to mark the occasion.
The drive, which is being conducted in collaboration with the Kenya Red Cross Society and other partners, aims to increase blood collection levels in the country, which have decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Rashid Aman, blood collection levels in the country had decreased, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic as people avoid hospital visits.
He noted that the blood collection in the country was way below the World Health Organization Requirement of 500,000 pints annually, putting at-risk patients who need a blood transfusion at risk.
Dr. Aman further stated that the government has increased personnel to the national blood transfusion Centre to boost its operations in addition to setting aside 1 billion shillings through a World Bank programme to upgrade blood collection throughout the country.
According to the World Health Organization, the need for safe blood is universal as it is critical both for treatments and urgent interventions.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, WHO will run a global virtual campaign this year.
This year’s World Blood Donor Day theme is ”Safe blood saves lives” with the tagline ”Give blood and make the world a healthier place”.
