THE SOUTH-South Zonal Co-ordinator of the National Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. O. Okubor said if only one percent of Nigerian adult population commit themselves to voluntary non-remunerated blood donation on a regular basis it would help to get rid of touts and blood racketeering in the society.
Speaking at the weekend during an activity marking the 2015 World Blood Donor Day held in Benin City,  Dr. Okubor noted that as long as the demand for blood out strips the supply, commercialization and racketeering of blood and blood products will continue to thrive.
Represented by Dr. (Mrs.) Bosede Arogundade the Zonal Co-ordinator averred that the use of blood and blood products has become an integral part of modern medical practice adding that in the world over, about 108 million units of blood are utilized per annum.
She however said that with a population of over 170 million in Nigeria, the estimated blood needs in the country is put at about 1.4 to 1.7 million units of blood per annum, lamenting that much less is collected, leading to avoidable deaths and morbidities particularly amongst the women folk, newborn children, victims of road traffic accidents and insurgencies.
“As a nation and as people of goodwill, we must rise up to the occasion, by taking that important decision of becoming voluntary non-remunerated blood donors,” she said.
Maintaining that the use of blood and blood products is far too critical to be left in the hands of touts and racketeers who commercialize this precious gift of life Dr. Okubor hinted that recent statistics has shown that voluntary non-remunerated blood donation accounts for only 10 percent of the centre total blood collection.
According to her, “Family replacement donations and commercial donations account for 30 and 60 percent respectively and   this situation is in dire-need of a reversal, as we move towards attaining 100 percent voluntary non-remunerated blood donation by the year 2020, a goal set by the WHO which has been successfully attained by some other African countries”.
Earlier in a brief remark, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Gold Obakpolor said when you donate blood you become healthier even as he stated that he has been donating blood free of charge since 2007, and still maintain a healthy life style.
Mr. Obakpolor therefore appealed to Nigerians irrespective of their status in the society to cultivate the habit of non-remunerated blood donation stressing that the good thing about free blood donation to the NBTS Centre is that it is voluntary and since its voluntary you must be fit properly to donation without any string attached.
High point of this year’s celebration was a rally and and Award to some deserving Nigerians who have been committed to non-remunerated blood donation over the years, while a thanksgiving mass is expected to take place this morning at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Ugbowo, Benin City.
The World Blood Donor Day is celebrated annually every on the 14th of June across the globe.
The 2015 World Blood Day celebration is the 11th in the series since the first World Blood Donor Day was celebrated on the 14th of June, 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products world-wide, while also thanking voluntary unpaid donors across the globe for their life-saving gift of blood.
The theme for this year’s campaign is “Thank you for saving my life” which was carefully chosen to reflect the appreciation of millions of blood recipients whose lives would have been cut short but for this precious gift of life.
Also yesterday MR. Linus Awute, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, said the estimated blood needs in Nigeria put at between 1.4 to 1.7 million units per annum was achievable if the public key into the voluntary free blood donation scheme .
“Unfortunately much less is collected, leading to avoidable deaths and morbidity particularly among our women folks, newborn children, victims of road traffic accidents and insurgencies.
“The situation can improve if only one per cent of our country’s adult population commit themselves to voluntary non-remunerated blood donation on a regular basis.
“This will go a long way in getting rid of touts and blood racketeering,’’ he said.
He said that the use of blood and blood products had become an integral part of modern medical practice, adding that about 108 million units of blood were utilized per annum in the world.
Awute, however, urged Nigerians to take important decision of becoming voluntary non-remunerated blood donors.
“ The use of blood is far too critical to be left in the hands of touts and racketeers, who commercialize this precious gift of life,’’ he said.
The permanent secretary said that statistics show that voluntary non remunerated blood donation accounts for only 10 per cent of the total blood collection.
He said there was need to urgently reverse the trend.
Acute called on health professionals, hospitals and other related institutions to join hands with the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS) as it pursues the noble cause using a coordinated approach.
“ I make a special appeal to our tertiary and secondary hospitals to embrace the Hospital Linkage Programme (HLP) designed by the NBTS.
“The state governments need to take blood safety as an essential part of their health systems and to ensure the implementation of resolutions reached at the 55th and 56th National Council on Health (NCH) on blood safety,’’ he said.

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