Haematologists say economic hardship not excuse to quit voluntary blood donation

As the Nigerian economy continues to bite harder with no respite in sight, physicians in the field of transfusion medicine have asked Nigerians not to allow the situation to discourage them from voluntarily donating blood.

The haematologists said blood still has to be donated and not manufactured despite the advancement in medicine.

The senior health professionals said irrespective of the situation in Nigeria, except Nigerians cultivate the habit of regular voluntary blood donation, there will continue to be a shortage of blood in blood banks.

The blood transfusion experts said people should voluntarily walk into the blood transfusion service unit, get tested and if found fit, should voluntarily donate to the pool of life.

According to the National Blood Service Commission, currently, less than five per cent of the total blood donation is sourced from voluntary donors in Nigeria, and the rest are from paid commercial donors, subjecting recipients to the risk of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, and others.

NBSC in data published on its website said 95 per cent of the blood sourced from paid commercial and family replacement donors is what we have in Nigeria.

The haematologists, who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise said voluntary blood donation is all about voluntarily giving one’s blood to save lives whether there is hunger in the land or not.

The World Health Organisation says blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person – the gift of life.

Blood, WHO states, is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anaemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims, and surgical and cancer patients.

With a population of over 200 million people, Nigeria requires an estimated 1.8 million units of blood each year for patients who have been in accidents, surgery, and for the treatment of conditions such as anaemia and other genetic blood disorders.

However, each year, only about 500,000 pints (236,600 litres) of blood are collected through official channels, according to NBSC.

Experts say Nigerians are often reluctant to give blood because of myths and misconceptions that are driven by cultural beliefs.

Speaking with our correspondent, a Professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Titi Adeyemo, said despite the economic situation, people are still going to be sick and are going to need blood as part of their treatment.

The consultant haematologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, said it is now well established that blood is a very major part of modern healthcare, hence the need for regular donation.

She decried the fact that Nigeria still heavily relied on family replacement donors, where relatives were forced to donate blood.

The haematologist said, “Our call to blood donation is a call for people to contribute to the common good. It’s a call for people to contribute to what I call a pool of life and that is because anybody can take from that pool of life at any point in time.

“Irrespective of economic difficulty; irrespective of the challenges that we face to put food on our tables, people will continue to live.

“People will continue to get pregnant and give birth; people will continue to develop cancers or any other medical condition at any point in their lives.

“People will continue to commute every day in their quest for daily bread, and when we do all these things, it means that we are at risk of needing blood at some point in our lives.”

Adeyemo maintained that there was an urgent need to orient Nigerians on the importance of blood donation despite the economic hardship in the country, especially as voluntary givers.

“So, if we want to be saved when we need blood at certain points of our lives, we need to continue to build the habit of contributing to the availability of blood in our health institutions.

“Nobody can predict when a mass casualty accident is going to happen. It is now well-established that blood is a very major part of modern healthcare.”

“We use it as part of management for cancer; we need blood to take care of women when they have antepartum haemorrhage or postpartum haemorrhage.

“Where do our health systems get this blood? They get it from the blood that is donated. Blood still has to be donated and not manufactured despite advancements in medicine”, she stated.

Explaining further why the economic situation in the country should not be a barrier to blood donation, the professor said an individual could donate blood at three-month intervals, which translates to three or four times per year.

She added, “Despite the economic situation, people are still going to be sick and are going to need blood as part of their treatment.

“So we are not going to look at the hardship in the economy and use that as an excuse not to donate blood. Remember any one of us may need medical help tomorrow and needs to be transfused.

“So we have to develop a mindset that blood donation is contributing to a common pool of life from which any one of us will be able to draw to sustain life.”

Listing the benefits of blood donation, the don said regular blood donors have a chance of living five years longer than non-regular blood donors

Adeyemo therefore, urged Nigerians to donate blood, stressing that the importance of blood donation cannot be overemphasised to save lives and reduce the mortality rate in society.

Also, a Consultant Paediatric Haematologist and Oncologist at LUTH, Professor Edamisan Temiye, said the best way to have blood in the blood bank for patients requiring transfusion is through voluntary donation.

According to the expert, it is not ideal to compel family members to donate blood for their loved ones during emergencies.

He said the approach is wrong and cannot solve the problem of shortage of blood in the nation’s blood banks.

Temiye noted that if Nigerians donate regularly, blood would be available in the blood banks to save lives during emergencies.

The haematologist said, “The approach in Nigeria whereby family members are compelled to donate blood for their loved ones’ treatment during emergencies is wrong. Voluntary blood donation is the way to go.

“What we are going through in Nigeria is not ideal. If your relation wants to go for surgery, then a family member must be asked to donate blood because there is a shortage of blood in the blood bank.

“But if people go to donate blood voluntarily and there is blood in our blood banks, you don’t need to compel anybody to donate blood because blood is already available.

 “But because we don’t have people voluntarily coming to donate blood, family members are always compelled to donate when their loved ones are sick and require blood transfusion. This is not the best.”

He noted that Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million, requires two million units [pints] of blood annually, but that only 150,000 units are available at any given time.

Temiye identified culture, traditional beliefs, and lack of awareness as major problems preventing many Nigerians from voluntarily donating blood.

The physician called for intensified public enlightenment on voluntary blood donation.