MANY people will only realise the importance of blood donation when they are in need of blood transfusion.
Blood is needed to save lives in times of severe anaemia, which can arise as a result of bleeding, suffering from chronic diseases, poor nutrition, pregnancy issues or even family history.
There are some instances where blood is needed intra-operatively or post-operatively and that is important to reduce table deaths and post-surgical complications.
Patients who undergo extensive surgical operations are at higher risk of bleeding, hence the need to cross-match blood units before commencement of an operation.
Many patients wonder why their surgical operations are cancelled when there is no blood in the blood banks.
The National Blood Transfusion Service now National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is the sole processor and distributor of blood in the country.
The organisation was established in 1958 as Salisbury Districts Blood Transfusion Service as a not-for-profit making company under the Companies Act.
The Bulawayo Districts Blood Transfusion Service was established in 1960.
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Iron deficiency anaemia is a major public health problem with approximately 850 000 deaths globally and 35 057 000 disability adjusted life years lost.
Africa and Asia bear 71% of the global mortality burden and 65% of the disability adjusted life years lost related to iron deficiency.
NBSZ aims to collect 83 000 units of blood per year but the donations have been failing to reach the target in previous years.
About 100 000 packs of blood are transfused annually in the country.
NBSZ is facing blood shortages, with donations in 2020 plummeting by 40% compared to 2019 and units of blood and blood components dropping by 30%.
Failure to the target in the period mentioned above can be understandable considering that COVID-19 was at its peak and schools were not fully operational.
We are in 2025 and blood shortage is still rampant with many patients forced to wait for long periods to get blood transfusion.
There should be good strategies to encourage more blood donors including donor education, mobile donation drives, use of mass media for education and these measures should be continuous to keep donors flowing.
Blood donation should not be a problem when schools are open as the biggest donors are usually school children.
The fear of infectious diseases seems to drive many potential blood donors away as viruses like HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and bacteria like Treponema Pallidum are screened.
NBSZ does its best to make blood and blood products safe for recipients, it is thus prudent for everyone to avoid misinformation and disinformation around issues of blood transfusion.
Blood is thus an important commodity for all of us.
Who knows whether one is going to be involved in a serious road accident, who knows if one is going to have a ruptured ectopic pregnancy?
What if one develops a complicated pregnancy with a placenta previa or abruptio?
What if you get advanced cervical cancer later in life with severe vaginal bleeding?
Many cancers can cause severe anaemia, which can warrant blood transfusion at some point in life.We ought to be positive about donating blood when we are still energetic and able.
Let us all contribute to blood donation, through giving blood or encouraging someone close to you to donate.
Blood donation is not only for the benefit others it also helps you when you least expect it.
NBSZ is behind Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals along Mazowe Street in Harare and Bulawayo NBSZ Static Clinic is at corner Leopold Takawira Avenue and Joshua Nkomo Street.
Be counted today as a life-saver!
- Johannes Marisa is a medical practitioner who is the current president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe.
