• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Blood donors have lesser risks of getting cancer

Blood donors

National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) says blood donors have lesser risks of getting cancer.

Daniel Oshiame, coordinator, South-South zonal centre of National Blood Transfusion Service, said in an interview with BusinessDay in Benin City “There are benefits for donating blood, those that donate have less risks of getting cancer later in life,  have fresh blood and live healthy lifestyle and you can hardly see them get hepatitis B and HIV”, he said.

Oshiame, however, urged Nigerians to donate blood voluntarily to reduce the high rate of maternal deaths as well as increase life expectancy rate in Nigeria.

He noted that more than 90 percent of women died during childbirth is as a result of insufficient blood.

“We want Nigerians to understand the concept of blood donation. Blood donor saves lives. We encourage Nigerians to always donate blood.

“Normally, for a man you can donate four times a year in  every three months while  a woman  can donate three times a year in every four months but for the people that sell their blood they do not wait for this time because they need the money”, he stated.

Oshiame further said that the shortfall of blood units across the 17 National Blood Transfusion centres in the country noting that Nigeria need estimated 38,000 blood units daily and over 1 million units annually.

“There have been deficits in the daily blood units from the 17 centres in Nigeria, thereby impeding the country’s blood gap with other countries.

“The State has recorded over 500 voluntary blood donation so far in 2019 and another 400 first donors from churches, schools among others.

“Even the blood we get now is very little compared to our target. Every day, we need 38,000 blood units and in a year about 1million but right now the way things are we are not able to meet the target because of so many factors.

“But thank God for the federal government that have been supporting us and it has released funds and hopefully, very soon we will be able to reach our target”, he added.

Oshiame, however, identified blood merchants, religion and economic challenges as some of the major cause of low turnout of blood donor volunteers in the country.

“The challenge is that most Nigerians do not understand the importance of blood donation. Also, blood merchants have been a major obstacle. These blood merchants call people and those people will come, donate and pay them.

“Another challenge is religion and economic situation of the country. So, most people will prefer to sell blood and get money than to just donate voluntary because of the economic situation”, he stated.

He called on the National Assembly for a swift passage of the 2014 National Health Act Bill so as to regulate blood transfusion in the country.

 

CHURCHILL OKORO, BENIN