BLOOD DRIVE INITIATIVE

 

 

The end we all envisage is a centralized blood transfusion service where safe blood is available to all who require it.

But how do we get to that end?

Background

Background (cont’d)

The 2006 census conducted in Nigeria puts the youth population at around 60million

About 80% of that group are students in higher institutions of learning between 18 and 25years of age.

These students are spread across the over 100 higher institutions of learning in Nigeria

 

 

In a 2008 study carried out by BDI among students of some tertiary institutions in the SW region of Nigeria, we observed that 74% of respondents stated that they do not donate blood because they do not know there is a need to donate blood; they have never been asked; some say they think blood is being manufactured: all pointing to ignorance

 

Ignorance

We believe that in order to tackle this issue of ignorance, we must move issues of voluntary blood donation from the medical domain into the public domain using all means deployable.

We call this in BDI, “mosquito campaign”.

Our approach: HIBD

CATHY

CBBU

challenges

Funding

Members Mobilization

Donor motivation

Project execution

Human resource

Recruitment

Training and re-training

tools

Re-inventing the wheel?

I believe we can look at health system programs that have successful awareness programs and then adopt and adapt their strategies. e.g. HIV, LEPROSY, TB, MALARIA etc

We need more organizations to be involved in VBD.

We need to create guidelines for starting blood donor organizations

 

 

It is our belief that awareness is a key tool to many other areas of the BTS.

It improves blood collection

It may help improve standards of safety

It may also encourage other sources of funding.

RECOMMENDATIONS

There is a need to set goals that are “SMART”

Thank you for your attention!

 

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Blood Transfusion is a form of transplant that involves the process of receiving blood products into one’s circulation intravenously; this procedure is used in varieties of Medical conditions to replace lost blood components due to a disease condition or traumatic blood loss.

The emergence of blood transfusion practice dates back from the 17th century due to the works of scientists like Dr. Jean Baptiste Denys, Richard lower, Dr James Blundell and Karl Landsteiner to mention a few who gradually over 200 years made remarkable discoveries in the transfusion of blood that precipitated this present day practice of transfusion science.

Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) are  eight goals of the United Nation which were agreed upon, in September 2000, by the 191 member states to achieve by the year 2015 viz-a-viz to combat Poverty, Hunger, Disease, illiteracy,  environmental degradation and discrimination against women.

The MDGs are listed thus;

MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education for children

MDG 3: Promote Gender equality and empower women

MDG 4: Reduce child mortality

MDG 5: Improve maternal health

MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases

MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

MDG 8: Develop a global partnership for development

The health related MDGs i.e. 4, 5 and 6 are the major focus here and the achievement of the trio in the health sectors of the member nations of the United Nation cannot be fully realized without the availability of safe and sustainable blood supply.

Blood transfusion has played a major role in the treatment of infant related diseases especially the diseases that account for 90% of all child mortality i.e. malaria, pneumonia , diarrhea, HIV/AIDS and other blood related diseases like paediatric cancers (leukemia), Hemolytic Disease of New Born (HDNB), sickle cell anaemia, amongst others. Most of these diseases are corrected or/and managed with blood transfusion being one of the critical interventions.

Therefore, the availability of blood is of utmost importance to the sustenance of child health and in the treatment of various diseases. Paediatric medicine has over the years depended on blood products for the delivery of good healthcare. This includes the use of clotting factors and platelet concentrate for the treatment of bleeding disorders, whole blood for exchange transfusion in cases of HDNB and different categories of anaemia and lots more including stem cell transplant in aplastic anaemia.

Considering the advantages of transfusion above, it is then of utmost importance to ensure such branch of medical practice receives ample support and attention so as to realize the MDG 4 by the year2015. The target being to reduce, by two-thirds, the mortality rate of children whose ages are under five.

Maternal health also, is gradually becoming a matter of serious concern to the world’s health sector with 358, 000 maternal deaths due to pregnancy related and childbirth complications.

The aim of the fifth MDG is to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, maternal mortality ratio and achieve by 2015 universal access to reproductive health.

Despite the strategies that are being considered to combat the challenges concerning maternal health which includes; satisfying need for family planning, strengthening health system, coordinating research in favour of maternal health in pregnancy and birth and lots more, blood transfusion still plays a major role in the achievement of this goal as post partum haemorrhage is still the leading cause of childbirth related death among women. It would not be out of place to say that blood transfusion acts as a strut in the pursuit of an improved maternal health care delivery.

To realize MDG 5, transfusion medicine and science must be paid proper attention to and steps should be taken to ensure its stability, sustainability and effectiveness. Blood transfusion helps in the management of most of these conditions without which management sometimes is not only impaired but made impossible.

MDG 6, which is the last of the three health-related Millennium Development Goals, is arguably the most important. The reason being that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are the three major diseases that seem to refuse to leave the scene despite all effort directed towards their eradication. With HIV/AIDS causing about 1.8 million deaths, malaria; one million and tuberculosis; 1.7 million deaths per year, these diseases have proven to be capable of destroying humanity if left unattended to.

In the clinical management of any of these diseases, blood transfusion stands as a sure port of call and sometimes the only safe harbor. Summarily, blood transfusion stands as an aspect of Medicine that has a major role to play in the realization of the health related millennium development goals.

Unfortunately, despite all the advances of science, we have not been able to create a suitable substitute for blood.

 Hence, in sustaining this all-important practice, practitioners had looked to many different sources for blood. The common practice was to either seek from blood vendors who sell their blood for gains or to implore, compel, or coax relatives of patients to donate. This practice has been condemned as unsafe by the WHO and there has been a new call for all countries to adopt and gradually shift towards a voluntary blood donation practice as reaffirmed by the Melbourne Declaration of 2009.

Sadly, Nigeria still depends largely (up to 75%) on blood from these unsafe sources! (National Blood Transfusion Service Report, 2010) The call to adopt and promote this new approach to blood sourcing is not just a fad. It has been shown to improve the overall healthcare system. Apart from meeting the need for blood and saving untold lives, in particular, that of women and children; it promotes participatory citizenship, encourages volunteerism, engenders altruism, and builds esprit de corps as every man sees the other as his/her neighbor. This is as opposed to the other practices which hold:  “Every man for himself, God for us all…”!

Voluntary blood donation practice also serves as an entry point into HIV testing without the associated stigma of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) centres. It serves as an avenue for early detection and promotes the culture of adherence to a safe lifestyle. With unsafe transfusion yet accounting for over 10% of new HIV/AIDS infections, there is a need to put in place and promote a system which allows ‘unsafe’ donors to self exclude. Such self exclusion is not available in other systems of blood sourcing as donors have either received remuneration or have family pressure that compels them to donate blood even when they know they have been involved in unsafe practices.

With early diagnosis comes awareness, comes prompt access to the treatment, comes improved disease prognosis, comes a choice for alternate lifestyles, comes improved health.  

Transfusion medicine plays such a pivotal role in the achievement of the health related MDGs that its improvement is crucial in the execution of these goals.

 Recommendations for WHO States who wish to realize these goals come 2015 are:

 

-Awareness of the importance of safe blood transfusion and its role in health care delivery

-Funds should be allocated to this arm of medicine and science for research and equipping.

-Each health sector should work towards achieving one hundred percent availability of safe and sustainable blood supply through the promotion of voluntary blood donation practice..

-Establish a blood transfusion policy and plan

As time rolls by, fresh challenges come our way, to subdue these challenges and remain the Lord of this earth; preparations have to be made so that when these challenges come, they do not catch us unaware.

 

Molade James K.

 Lala O.K (BMLS; Dip. Psychology)

 

 

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How to start a blood donor organization!

A blood donor organization is one whose aim is to canvass for blood donation from eligible, healthy citizens of the community in order to save the lives of those in need.

 Blood should be sought from healthy donors who are willing to donate blood voluntarily: not for pressure of finances or family.  

Blood donor organizations should focus on enlisting donors to become regular, committed, safe blood donors.

HOW TO START

Compile information on all issues of voluntary blood donation practice

• Your local library, state or Federal Ministries of information and the Internet are good sources for information gathering.
• You could also ask the Ministry of health for a copy of the blood policy for your state or country
• Here is a list of websites you may visit for information
  • www.wbdd.org
  • www.who.us.int
  • www.fiods.org
  • www.bdi.org.ng

Read and understand the information you have acquired

• It will require a lot of time and dedication to go through the information you will have collated
• This information needs to be at your fingertip for easy reference

Create a nucleus with like-minded individuals to discuss information you have gathered

• Focused group discussions (FGD) have proved a valuable tool in bringing perspective to issues. This kind of interaction will help to further cement knowledge and strengthen resolve.
• It may be advisable to invite an expert in this sector to elucidate on issues
• It is important not to attempt to lump too many things into one group meeting; a series of short meetings may achieve more than one lengthy one.

Select a target group for your campaign

• It is best to start the campaign with a target group that you are familiar with, either students of a school, residents in a community or members of a local church or mosque

Identify the inhibitions of members of your target group

• People who have at least one thing in common typically also share similar beliefs about blood donation practice. Knowledge of what these beliefs are will equip you to tackle them.
• Employ knowledge gathering tools such as observation, FGD, interviews, questionnaires etc to identify these inhibitions

Share the information you have acquired about voluntary blood donation with members of your target group using the appropriate medium

• When disseminating information, it may be useful to use the TIG slogan “Inform, Inspire, Involve”as a cardinal rule
  • Inform
  • Do not force your opinion; simply state the facts.
  • Remember to KISS: Keep It Short and Simple
  • Respect the right of others to hold an opinion that is contrary to yours
  • Inspire
    • Spice up your discussion with stories of how the lives of end user such as women in childbirth, road accident victims, cancer patients, sickle cell patients etc have been saved by someone’s act of altruism
    • It may also help to articulate your points from a religious standpoint: Islamic injunction, Law of Karma, good Samaritan story etc
  • Involve
    • Give a call to action. Ask people to be the change they wish to see

Collect the names and contact addresses of members of your target group who may be willing to donate

Contact a blood transfusion centre for technical support

Select a convenient date for a blood donation exercise

 

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The famous quote of Ghandi has been the spur and impetus for many youth to begin to take action in their societies. This has led to the birth of many organizations with, sometimes, idealist objectives. Noble as some of these objectives may be, a lot of times, the power to execute eludes these brave lads and gals.

Funding is a challenge that is common to all grassroot NGOs and in the face of such a daunting challenge only the sheer force of courage and persistence can beat the odds.

Blood Drive Initiative in Nigeria is an organization that has had its own fair share of challenges particularly in the area of funding but in an attempt to beat the odd. BDI is seeking to use the GlobalGiving platform to raise $4000 for her Giveblood-Givelife project which seeks to source safe BLOOD for 2500 Nigerians from voluntary blood donors.

To learn more about this project, visit www.goto.gg/7844

To learn more about BDI, visit www.bdi.org.ng

For further enquiries, pls contact me: call4biggy@yahoo.com