This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
Maternal mortality remains a pressing issue in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 830 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. According to the World Health Organisation, post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide.
Having an on-hand, sustainable blood supply available for severely bleeding new mothers would significantly improve their chances of survival. However, in many African countries, there is a lack of awareness on the importance of having an adequate supply of blood, particularly in rural areas.
Statistics from WHO underline the problems. Almost half (42%) of the blood collected globally comes from high-income countries, while only 4.4 per 1,000 people in low-income countries donate blood, compared with 32.6 per 1,000 in upper-income countries.
There are common misconceptions that hinder voluntary blood donation in low-income countries, including the belief that one must be extremely strong or have extra blood to donate. To address these challenges, health administrations in African countries must invest in sensitisation and education campaigns around the importance of blood donation.
For example, Zambia has successfully reduced maternal deaths by 55% from 2012 to 2016 through a public-private-partnership initiative called “Saving Mothers, Giving Life.” This initiative improved access to a safe blood supply by strengthening health systems across the country’s districts.
Partnerships between health sectors and non-health-sector-specific companies can dramatically contribute to the overall success of important health-sector goals. For instance, Google has partnered with a blood-and-oxygen-delivery tech company, LifeBank, to help transport blood safely and efficiently in Nigeria.
Similarly, Rwanda has adopted the use of aerial drones to transport blood into rural areas, delivering blood quickly to those in need. These examples demonstrate that innovative partnerships can help achieve the sustainable development goal of good health and well-being.
