The federal government has declared December 8, every year, as Nigeria’s National Blood Donor Day.
This is coming on the heels of the government’s renewed commitment to ensure the availability of safe and adequate blood for Nigerians in need of it.
This was disclosed in Abuja by the Head, of Media and Publicity, National Blood Service Commission, NBSC, Haruna Abdullahi.
The acting director general, NBSC, Dr. Omale Amedu, while inaugurating the National Central Planning Committee in Abuja on Wednesday, highlighted the need for the committee to strategize on ways to promote voluntary blood donation as a civic responsibility.
Amedu also charged the committee to ensure all blood establishments and hospitals work in synergy to provide sustainable quantities of safe blood and blood products for the country as well as adequately appreciating voluntary blood donors.
He emphasized that there can be no achievement of Universal Health Coverage without the achievement of a nationally available and accessible safe, quality blood and blood products supply.
In his words, “December 8 is chosen as the national day of blood donation in response to the need to domesticate the importance of blood as a serious human need and to raise the local content initiative. The National Blood Donor Day is modelled after the World Blood Donor Day celebrated globally on June 14.”
The committee which was inaugurated by the Nigerian Medical Association, the Federal Road Safety Corps, APIN Public Health Initiatives, Center for Integrated Health Programs, National Orientation Agency, National Health Insurance Authority, National Youth Service Corps, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, the media and other implementing partners.