This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On August 12, 2019, a report highlighted the impending crisis in Kenya's blood services, following the withdrawal of Sh2 billion US funding.
The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS) collects approximately 500,000 units of blood per year, but only 32% of this is collected, leaving the country with a significant shortfall.
Blood is a crucial requirement in many clinical processes, including accident victims, mothers in labor, individuals with sickle cell disease, and cancer and malaria victims.
The Universal Health Care (UHC) agenda will remain a pipe dream if the management of blood services is not fixed.
The current situation offers a chance to revisit blood services management and implement long-overdue structural changes to boost donations and inject efficiency and effectiveness into the system.
The country needs to get it right with financing blood services, as blood is a crucial component of healthcare delivery that should not be left to external funding.
It is critical that the national government and county governments move quickly to remove this external dependency for financing crucial aspects of healthcare, such as blood services.
Today, the KNBTS plays a critical role in sourcing, screening, and distributing blood across the country for public health facilities.
Technology can help with donor registration, ongoing contact with donors, and information-sharing among facilities and other stakeholders.
Facilities can use technology to share blood-related information, which could be the difference between life and death for many patients.
In summary, blood is an integral component of Universal Health Care, and it needs to be managed with substantial diligence and requisite standards, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Fixing the current process requires appropriate and commensurate financing, regulation, and use of technology.
