By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Voluntary blood donors in Cameroon will soon receive blood donor cards to streamline the donation process and recognize life-saving contributions. Prof. Dora Mbanya, General Manager of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), announced the initiative during an April 7 press conference in Yaoundé.
The measure is one of several strategies aimed at addressing an acute blood shortage in hospitals, particularly at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Speaking alongside close collaborators and hospital representatives, Prof. Mbanya expressed regret over the persistent scarcity and urged Cameroonians to cultivate a habit of voluntary donation.
“Every pint of blood donated can potentially save three lives,” Mbanya said. “In order to manage the situation, we are thinking about the production of donor cards that will help follow them up. They will enjoy the benefits that come with it.”
Beyond the cards, the NBTS plans to implement personalized donor outreach. This includes maintaining regular contact to thank donors and sending reminders when they are eligible to donate again, typically every three months. Prof. Mbanya also emphasized the importance of staff training in donor care, which covers everything from the initial reception to post-donation follow-ups.
“We need to do what we call training of staff in blood transfusion medicine on donor care,” Prof. Mbanya said. “Donor care includes receiving the donors, how you attend to them while they are even donating blood, how you attend to them post-donation, and how you accompany them afterwards.”
She added that communication is vital for shifting public attitudes toward donation, noting that many citizens remain hesitant due to a lack of information.
To ensure the safety of the supply, a new multidisciplinary laboratory is becoming functional. Prof. Mbanya stated the facility is well-equipped and the staff is fully trained. The laboratory will produce samples to be distributed across various blood banks to verify that testing results are consistent and meet national standards.
“Many things will be done in that line to ensure that the quality of blood that is distributed to the general population,” she said.
Prof. Claude Tayou, Director of the Medico-Technical Department, and Tiock Epolle, Head of the Mobilization and Collection Unit, identified several factors contributing to the shortage. These include a lack of awareness, the absence of a donation culture, and a fear of contracting or transmitting diseases.
Prof. Tayou explained that blood transfusion involves two critical dimensions: availability and quality. Because blood cannot be manufactured or purchased in a pharmacy, availability relies entirely on human donors. He addressed the common practice of asking families to provide “replacement donors,” explaining that the request for two donors per patient is a safeguard.
“We require the family to give. Why two bags? Because on the two given bags, there is up to a 30% chance that a bag is not of good quality or that it is destroyed for reasons of productivity,” Tayou said. “When taking the blood from the donor, the blood may not be enough. When storing, it may be lost. During tests, we can find infections. This means that on the two bags, the probability that the bank loses one is high.”
He further clarified that fees associated with blood are not for the blood itself, but for the rigorous testing required to ensure a safe product.
Current estimates suggest Cameroon requires approximately 400,000 pints of blood annually, yet the country consistently meets less than half of that demand. In 2024, authorities collected 165,708 units, covering about 40 percent of the national need.
This is a slight increase from 2022, when 147,034 units were collected, representing roughly 36.8 percent of the country’s requirements. The NBTS continues to urge the public to view voluntary donation as a vital gift to the nation.
