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Kenya Battles Blood Shortage

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
September 16, 2004 </B>
Posted to the web September 15, 2004

By Nation Reporter
Nairobi

Kenya faces an acute shortage of blood for transfusion in the country's blood banks as donation levels miserably fail to meet national requirements.

And unless Kenyans internalise a blood-donation culture, there are fears that blood transfusion services in the country may collapse altogether.

While addressing a stakeholders' workshop on blood transfusion services, a senior medical laboratory technologist at the Blood Transfusion Service, Mr Paul Kiteng'e, said that while the country requires between 200,000 and 250,000 units of blood annually, last year's total was only 110,000.

"In most years, less than half the required amount is collected and Nairobi managed only 10,000 units last year," said the transfusion technologist. The meeting was told that the situation gets worse during the school holiday months of April, August and December because high school and college students, who constitute major donors, are not available to give blood.

He said that the situation is compounded by the fact that these are the same months when blood demand in the country is at its highest due to malaria outbreaks, especially in western Kenya where infected women and children suffer from anaemia.

"These are also the same months in which circumcision takes place and blood demand goes up if the operation goes wrong and there is massive bleeding," said Kiteng'e.

A trustee of the Blodlink Foundation, which aims at encouraging Kenyans to give blood, Mr Joseph Wang'endo, said that they had come together to inculcate a blood giving culture in Kenyans.

"The country faces a serious situation where many deaths that are occuring can be easily averted if people can adopt a blood-donating culture," he said. The advent of HIV/Aids has had the single most negative impact in blood donation and urged Kenyans not to fear giving blood in the belief that they will be found to be HIV-positive.

He said that anybody between 16 and 65 years of age and weighs over 50 kilogrammes and is in good health can give blood.

"One can still donate even after 65 years of age if they are certified medically fit," he added.

__________________
Mr. Jan B. Wade
Blood Management Consultant
Enhance Outcomes - Control Cost
For Information Call - 360 296-1807
Email