News
Ghana’s blood supply falls short of annual needs — NBS
Ghana faces a severe shortfall in blood supply, collecting far less than the 300,000 units required annually, according to the National Blood Service (NBS).
Despite a population exceeding 30 million, annual collections remain under 200,000 units, typically around 180,000.
Dr Dilys John-Teye, Acting Head of the Southern Zonal Blood Centre, revealed this during an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the launch of the 2025 Nationwide Blood Donation Campaign by the Melcom Care Foundation in Accra.
The exercise is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, at four selected schools; Thursday, July 24, across Melcom stores nationwide; and Saturday, July 26, at Accra, Achimota, and West Hills Malls, as well as the Melcom Mall at Spintex.
Dr John-Teye said fewer than 50 per cent of donations are from voluntary, non-remunerated donors.
“Many patients in need of blood, especially mothers in labour, accident victims, and children with severe anaemia, do not receive transfusions on time simply because the blood is not available,” she lamented.
Dr John-Teye explained that ideally, one per cent of the population should donate annually, adding that the ongoing reliance on family replacement donations reflects the national deficit.
“The ideal situation is for blood to be available in hospitals at all times, ready to be administered when emergencies strike. But the reality is that hospitals often run low, and patients are left waiting or turned away,” she added.
Describing hospital-led blood collection as “unfortunate but necessary,” she urged healthy individuals aged 17 to 60 to donate regularly to ease the strain on the health system and reduce preventable deaths.
Dr Ramesh Sadhwani, Managing Director of the Melcom Group of Companies, said the firm has partnered with the National Blood Service for over a decade to promote voluntary donations.
The company’s contribution has grown from 434 units in 2013 to 2,184 in 2023.
“Melcom’s commitment goes beyond corporate social responsibility; it reflects our values of compassion, patriotism, and service to humanity,”
He called on individuals, corporate bodies, and institutions to support the initiative and help cultivate a culture of voluntary blood donation across the nation. –GNA
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
