Acute blood shortage hits Uganda

Officials say the increased demand for blood is mainly attributed to the high rate of road crashes especially in the period before and during the festive season, a surge in malaria cases among children and pregnant mothers.

The blood collection team leader at Nakasero Blood Bank, Samuel Wante, says the situation has prompted them to launch blood donation drives at every trading centre across the country to save the lives of Ugandans.

Uganda needs at least 400,000 units of blood every year, but according to statistics from the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, only about 300,000 units are collected per year which is below the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended target.

On a daily basis, Uganda utilises about 1,000 units of blood across the country, a target the campaigners have set for week-long nationwide drive.

Wante notes that a man can donate blood up to 4 times a year, while women can donate 3 times a year.

In Kampala, the blood donation drives are stationed in different areas including Mukwano shopping arcade, Kiseka, Kawempe, and Nakawa markets.

According to the World Health Organisation’s Global Database on Blood Safety, a country should be able to collect blood equivalent to 1% of its population. Uganda has an estimated population of about 46 million but collects far below the required amount. 

The Health Ministerial Policy Statement for the Financial Year 2021/2022 estimates that 8,400 mothers are referred to regional referral hospitals annually because local health centers lack the capacity to perform obstetric care as they cannot transfuse blood.