Nigeria's NBSA Reports Critical Blood Supply Shortage

The National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) has revealed that Nigeria collects between 24,000 and 25,000 units of blood annually, which is insufficient for its population exceeding 200 million. The Director-General, Prof. Saleh Yuguda, represented by Dr. Aliyu Dahiru Waziri, emphasized the need for at least two percent of the population to donate blood to meet transfusion requirements.

Despite ongoing efforts to improve blood collection, the agency faces challenges due to inadequate voluntary donations. To address these issues, the NBSA is developing a National Blood Management System aimed at digitizing blood collection, processing, monitoring, and distribution.

This electronic platform will allow for tracking each blood unit from donor to recipient, enhancing safety and addressing complications. Additionally, the agency is working on strengthening the regulation of blood banks and promoting haemovigilance to monitor adverse reactions related to blood donation and transfusion.

The NBSA is also expanding its hospital linkage program to improve blood distribution.