Impact

Blood Access

Problem Context - Globally, millions of people die from preventable causes stemming from the lack of blood in hospital blood banks which serve to mitigate complications. According to the World Health Organization, blood donations is needed for women with complications in pregnancy, severely anaemic children, people with severe trauma following man-made (including accidents) and natural disasters, and many complex medical and surgical procedures and cancer patients.

The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018 estimates that maternal mortality rate and pregnancy-related mortality rates stand at 512 maternal deaths and 556 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births respectively. Far threatening is the neonatal mortality rate which stands at 39 deaths per 1000 live births in Nigeria. These statistics by far shows the lives lost on daily basis in Nigeria.

Today, most medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from donors, as 1 in 7 people entering the hospital needs blood. Many hospitals run out of blood in the blood banks due to the overwhelming number of complications presented on a daily and weekly basis.

Blood donation is important because maintaining an adequate blood supply in our community secures blood transfusions for patients. Donating blood will save millions of lives in our community especially in Kano State its large population and a vast number of people seeking medical attention.

Proposed Solution - A well-structured system that will connect public hospital to blood donors and facilitate the process blood donation process. Hence creating demand for voluntary blood donation and breaking the barriers blood donors face during blood donation.

Blood Access Project - Blood Access Project is a health and wellbeing impact project aimed at creating a system that will ensure all-yearlong supply of blood to patients in public health facility. Through a process of demand creation at the community level, creating linkages to the public health facilities and facilitating the process of blood donation the facility level.

Key Activities

(1) Setting up a donation facilitation team at health facilities. The team consists of medical students in their senior year acting as facilitators. They will serve as the focal persons for the project in the health facilities, hence speeding up blood donation for potential donors.

(2) Advocacy visit to the health facility with the aim of getting their buy-in and support from the management team and health staff working at the blood banks.

(3) Social Media Campaign to drive demand for blood donations from the community.

(4) Social Mobilization using radio jingles and programs targeting listeners from the grassroot community hence driving demand for blood donation.

(5) Sensitization Exercise at key structures within the community

· Outputs

(1) Increased awareness on blood donation and its benefits

(2) Demand generation leading to willingness to donate blood

(3) Increased buy-in and support by health facilities in facilitation of blood donation process.

(4) Increased access and ease to donation of blood

· Outcomes

(1) Availability of blood at public health facilities

(2) A reliable system for blood donation

(3) Perception change towards blood donation