By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, June 16, GNA – Ghana’s voluntary blood donation rate of 36 per cent remains below national and international targets, raising concerns over safe blood supply.
The concern was highlighted at the 2026 World Blood Donor Day commemoration held at the National Blood Service in Accra on the theme: “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Lives.”
Dr Shirley Owusu-Ofori, Chief Executive Officer of the National Blood Service, said the low voluntary donation rate posed a critical threat to the health system.
“As a country, we collect about 200,000 units of blood annually, yet our national need exceeds 300,000 units. More importantly, only about 36 per cent of these donations are voluntary, which is far from the target of 100 per cent,” she said.
Dr Owusu-Ofori said the shortfall had led to overreliance on family replacement donors, resulting in an inconsistent supply and raising concerns about safety and availability.
“At a time when blood is needed to manage pregnancy-related complications, trauma cases and surgeries, the lack of a reliable voluntary donor base continues to affect outcomes,” she said.
Dr Fiona Braka, World Health Organisation Country Representative, said voluntary blood donation remained the safest and most sustainable source of blood. She said Ghana’s blood donation rate stood at 6.6 per 1,000 population, below the WHO benchmark of 10 per 1,000 required to ensure adequate supply.
“For many patients, including mothers in labour, children with severe anaemia, and accident victims, access to blood is the difference between life and death,” she said.
Dr Braka urged policymakers, communities and institutions to intensify efforts to promote voluntary donation and strengthen blood systems nationwide.
Professor Catherine Segbefia, Chairperson for the occasion, said inadequate blood supply had severe human consequences, citing cases of patients, including children with life-threatening conditions, who depend on repeated transfusions for survival.
“Many of these patients rely on donations from people they may never know, yet those donations are what sustain their lives,” she said.
Prof Segbefia called for a shift from emergency-driven donations to a culture of regular voluntary blood donation, stressing that consistent supply was essential for saving lives.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey