The Lagos State Government has renewed its drive to ensure a safe, adequate, and sustainable blood supply, with a target of collecting about 250,000 units of blood annually to meet the state’s growing healthcare needs.
The campaign is being pursued through the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) Voluntary Blood Donation Awareness and One-to-One Sensitisation Campaign.
The initiative, themed “Voluntary Donors, Sustainable Blood: Securing Lagos State’s Blood Supply,” was held on Tuesday at the Secretariat Community, Alausa-Ikeja, as part of activities marking Blood Awareness Month.
Declaring the event open, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said Lagos, with an estimated population of about 30 million people, requires between 200,000 and 250,000 units of blood each year.
He disclosed that about 141,000 units of blood were collected in the last cycle, representing roughly 70 per cent of the target, and commended residents who voluntarily donated blood to save lives.
Abayomi described blood as a “liquid organ,” likening transfusion to organ transplantation, and stressed that strict protocols, including thorough screening and accurate donor-recipient matching, are essential to prevent complications and infections.
He reassured eligible donors that blood donation poses no health risk and encouraged young people to adopt voluntary blood donation as a regular practice.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, highlighted the constant demand for blood arising from emergencies such as childbirth complications, road traffic accidents, and surgical procedures.
She noted that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has modernised blood transfusion services through digitisation, improved tracking systems, and strengthened safety protocols to ensure that only screened and safe blood is made available to patients.
Ogunyemi emphasised that blood donation is a daily necessity rather than a seasonal activity, urging residents to dispel fears and myths surrounding the practice.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, commended the LSBTS and voluntary donors for their dedication, describing blood as a critical, life-saving resource central to effective healthcare delivery in the state.
