SPEECH DELIEVERD BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH,PROFESSOR BABATUNDE OSOTIMEHIN,OON ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2009 WORLD BLOOD DAY PRESS BRIEFING HELD ON FRIDAY 12TH JUNE 2009



I am indeed very happy to be amongst you today, on the occasion of the 2009 World Blood Donor Day celebration.

Every year since 2004, the 14th of June has been set aside by the World Health Assembly to recognize and thank those who donate blood for altruistic reasons. This date has been chosen in Honour of Karl Landsteiner who discovered the ABO blood groups in 1907. He won a Nobel Prize for the scientific feat, which has made blood transfusions a key part of Modern medicine since 1930.

It is well documented that there is higher risk of transmitting infections when blood and blood products have been obtained from paid donors. It is for this reason that the World Health Assembly passed resolution 28.72 of 1975,which recommends that member states, including Nigeria ,adopt a well-organised centrally coordinated blood transfusion service with quality systems based on 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.

Testifying of all units of blood donated is essential. However testing alone is not sufficient to prevent transmission of infectious agents through blood transfusions because of the possibility of laboratory error’s , and the window period of infection.

Evidence from around the world demonstrates that patients who receives blood from voluntary non-remunerated donors who give blood regularly, are at the lowest risk of acquiring blood-borne infections through transfusion, because these donor’s are motivated by altruism and have no reason to conceal any reason why their blood may be unsafe.

Millions of lives are saved each year through blood transfusion, and in many countries, including Nigeria, many people still die due to an inadequate supply of blood and blood products. This has a disproportionate impact on women as a consequence of pregnancy-related complications, children due to malnutrition,Malaria and severe life-threatening anaemia, trauma victims, and most especially the poor and disadvantaged.

One of the strategies for ensuring the safety, quality and availability of adequate blood supplies is by the collection of blood from voluntary non-remunerated donors only

Around the world, millions of people owe their lives to individuals they will never meet, people who donate their blood to help others. But millions still cannot get safe blood when they need it. Today provides a unique opportunity to thank those special people that have voluntarily given their blood to save lives. We can also raise awareness about the need for more support from good people of Nigeria to enlist as voluntary non-remunerated blood donors.

The theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day celebration is “Achieving 100% Non-Remunerated Donation of Blood Products”. It places more emphasis on improving the safety and sufficiency of blood supply. As more and more countries achieve the goal of 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, there is growing appreciation of the vital roles of voluntary donors who give blood on foundation a sustainable National blood supply that is sufficient to meet the needs of all patients requiring blood and blood components.

Through the commitment of the people and the government of both the United States of America and Nigeria, there are currently 12 operational National Blood Transfusion Centre’s spread over the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria, up from the demonstration Blood Center pioneered by technical partners to the NBTS, Safe Blood for Africa Foundation in 2004. It is anticipated that by the end of 2009,5 additional centre’s would have been established, bringing the total to 17. The NBTS is committed to establishing one National Blood centre in each of the 36 states by 2015, in the hope that the states will pick up the challenge and ensure that modalities are put in place to make safe blood accessible to all communities within their catchment areas. The successful implementation of a centrally coordinated blood service through the political will of the various levels of government, will replace the hitherto fragmented and unregulated blood service characterized by Paid of family replacement blood donors, the safety and quality of whose blood and blood products is not assured.

The National Blood Transfusion Service has the responsibility of providing safe blood and blood products available to all who may need it. The NBTS will also regulate other blood banks and related service providers in the country as stated in the National Blood Policy, in order to guarantee the quality of blood and blood products from those facilities. Operational guidelines for blood transfusion practice in Nigeria have also been developed, to ensure operational consistency at all levels of the blood service.

Blood is a scarce and precious resource. In order to minimize its unnecessary prescription and administration, the NBTS also promotes the appropriate clinical use of blood products, which also reduces the incidence of adverse reactions. Hospitals are actively supported to establish Transfusion Committees.

As the demand for blood keeps increasing, Nigeria strives to make blood readily available by increasing blood collection from voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. In order to meet these needs, I call an all you special people gathered here today to enlist as voluntary blood donors in support of our quest for community participation. Regular donation of blood – three times per year for women, and four for men – will help us maintain a stable pool of safe blood units, and expand our blood component programme to achieve self-sufficiency.

I will not conclude without acknowledging the significant role of the mass media in our collective efforts at increasing and sustaining the pool of voluntary unpaid donors. Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I implore you to create the necessary awareness about voluntary blood donation so that those that have been skeptical thus far about voluntary unpaid blood donation would improve their knowledge and therefore change their beliefs and behavior and join those gift of blood continues to save lives.

Thank you for being present at this occasion. As you leave here, please pass on the message, safe blood saves lives. Donate blood and save lives.

Thank you and may God bless us all