Blood transfusion good for quality health – Mpasa

Government says it is fully aware of the important role that blood transfusion plays in supporting quality health care to the Zambian people.

Kawambwa district commissioner Ivo Mpasa says this was why government has and will continue to treat blood transfusion as a priority health intervention.

He says adding to this , government has  also scaled up support to the Zambian National Blood Transfusion Service (ZNBTS).

ZANIS reports that the District Commissioner said this in a speech read on his behalf by district administrative officer, Mwita Kasengele at the world blood donor day held at the public square, yesterday.

He noted  that the national policy on Blood donation  is therefore aimed at ensuring equitable and affordable access to adequate, quality and safe blood products throughout the country.

He adds that in this respect, Zambia has adopted a comprehensive safe blood transfusion strategy based on the World Health Organization’s policy and guidelines on the establishment of national blood transfusion systems.

However, Mr Mpasa notes that one of major cornerstones of the exercise is the promotion of dependency on voluntary no remunerated blood donors from low risk population groups, as the only source of blood donations.

The DC explains that this is because blood safety starts with the selection of donors.

Currently, the national blood needs for Zambia are estimated between 140,000 to 150,000 units of blood per year.

This year’s world blood donor day in Luapula province was held in Kawambwa district and the commemoration was also attended by the local chief, Munkanta.

The celebration also saw many pupils from Kawambwa boys secondary
school receive blood certificates and announced as the leading blood
donors in the region.
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