Ignorance Blamed for Rampant Blood Transfusion Abuse in Nigeria – Prof Ejembi
Prof. Clara Ejembi has blamed widespread ignorance for the gross abuse of blood transfusion practices across Nigeria, particularly in rural communities. She made this assertion during a workshop organized by the Health Sector Reform Coalition of Nigeria to review a decade of the National Health Act’s implementation.
The event, which featured key stakeholders in the health sector, included a presentation by the Director General of the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), Prof. Saleh Yuguda, titled “Control of the Use of Blood, Blood Products, Tissue, and Gametes in Humans.”
Prof. Ejembi decried the practice of administering blood transfusions without adherence to established medical protocols, highlighting the dangers it poses to patient safety. “In rural areas especially, blood is often transfused directly without following best practices,” she lamented, attributing the issue to ignorance. She urged the NBSA to intensify its strategic efforts to eliminate blood transfusion abuse and improve access through expanded outreach and education. She, however, commended the agency for opening more blood collection and access centers across the country.
Also speaking at the event, Ambassador Onoja advocated for the establishment of a Blood Transfusion Fund to sustainably address challenges in blood service delivery. He emphasized that financing remains a critical bottleneck that must be addressed to improve access and safety.
In his remarks, Dr. Mike Egbon called on corporate organizations to incorporate blood donation and support services into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, saying, “blood issues must be seen as a collective responsibility.”
Responding to the concerns, NBSA Director General Prof. Saleh Yuguda acknowledged the daunting challenges facing blood services in Nigeria. He disclosed that the agency, in addition to upgrading the existing branches at both zonal and state levels, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to establish a blood collection and storage facility in each of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria.
Prof Yuguda also highlighted that the agency, under the guidance of the Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, is collaborating with other agencies like NEMSAS and National Health Insurance Agency with the aim of making blood and blood products more accessible and affordable to the citizenry. “This is critical in achieving the much desired improvement in our health indices in-line with the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President”.
The event ended with a renewed call for collaboration among stakeholders, increased funding, and strengthened community sensitization efforts to ensure safer and more accessible blood transfusion services across the nation.
