Religious Leaders Urged To Promote Blood Donation As Nigeria Meets Only 30% Of Demand

Wilson Akubo, a pastor at the Family Worship Centre in Abuja, has called on religious leaders to encourage their members to donate blood as Director General of the National Blood Service Agency Saleh Yuguda highlighted that Nigeria currently meets less than 30% of its blood needs.

The pastor and the director highlighted the importance of blood donation during the third National Blood Donors' Day event held at the Family Worship Centre in Abuja.

The event focused on promoting voluntary blood donation and recognizing the efforts of local blood donors. It also featured discussions with religious leaders to help mobilize community support for blood donation and build a culture of voluntary giving.

"As you are all aware, blood is a very scarce commodity, which is very scarce in our society. In fact, the World Health Organization estimated that here in Nigeria, we are short of blood supply. We can supply less than 30% of our needs," Yuguda said, Punch reported.

"So that is very unique. We also know that blood is not available, as I said earlier, and we have a shortage of supply. And this is largely due to the fact that you and I that are healthy are not willing to come out and donate."

The official explained that many people who die in road accidents do so because of a lack of blood. He urged willing Nigerians to donate blood freely and thanked the Family Worship Centre for allowing them to speak.

He mentioned that they have been visiting different communities and emphasized the importance of community involvement in achieving self-sufficiency in the country's blood supply. He also called on religious organizations to encourage their congregations to donate blood.

Akubo, on the other hand, emphasized how important faith communities were in saving lives. He mentioned that for the past 20 years, they have been involved in blood donation and urged churches, pastors, and imams to encourage their members to donate blood willingly, calling it a service to God.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the need for timely access to safe blood, saying that transfusions saved lives and improved health. WHO also pointed out that many patients in need do not have timely access to safe blood, highlighting the significant gap in blood access between low- and high-income countries.

In October, the Nigerian Medical Association disclosed that there are only 1,300 doctors available for more than 20 million residents in Kano State, located in northern Nigeria.