This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
On October 31, 2019, the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service collected only 164,275 units of blood, a far cry from the million units needed annually.
Despite regular awareness campaigns, the culture of donating blood has not taken root in Kenya, with many adults fearing that donating blood could lead to them knowing their HIV status.
However, this fear is unfounded, as blood is screened for HIV and common diseases before transfusion.
Experts say that men can donate blood every three months and women every four months, and that donating blood is healthy and safe.
With only two percent of the population voluntarily donating blood, there is a pressing need for more people to come forward and donate blood to help save lives.
