Most Rwandans have O blood type with rhesus positive, according to Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), pointing out that people with rhesus negative blood represent a small fraction of the population. Alexia Mukamazimpaka, RBC’s Acting Director of Kigali Regional Centre for Blood Transfusion (NCBT), disclosed on Monday, March 22, during the launch of a week-long blood donation effort dubbed “RSSB Kigali Blood Donation Heroes Drive”. The campaign is an initiative of the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) in partnership with Health Sector Collective Outreach (HESCO), a local social enterprise. Packages of blood that were collected during the launch of a week-long blood donation effort dubbed “RSSB Kigali Blood Donation Heroes Drive on March 22 (Craish Bahizi) Based on the results of people who donate blood, Mukamazimpaka said over 50 per cent of Rwandans have O type. Those with rhesus negative are not more than 10 per cent of the population, she disclosed, pointing to the possible shortage this blood type. Rhesus is an inherited antigen or protein found on the surface of red blood cells. If this is present, your blood group is rhesus positive; if it’s absent, your blood group is rhesus negative. She said this reality is not a problem per se as though people with such blood represent the low number among the blood donors, they also account for a small share of patients who need such blood. However, she said that, the minority of this group might result in a situation where patients who need such type of blood might lack it because it is not available in the stock. “This issue requires special strategies that allow us to use an approach where we can call specific people to donate that type of blood,” she said. The RSSB Kigali Blood Donation Heroes Drive targets organised communities in the City of Kigali to donate blood and help the country to maintain sufficient bloodstocks amidst Covid-19 challenges. The drive seeks to collect 300 units of blood. It encourages young people aged 18-40 years to donate blood. Efforts to address possible rhesus negative blood shortage Mukamazimpaka said that it would be better if people donate blood from the centre for blood transfusion. She disclosed that some benefactors have created a WhatsApp group that brings together people with rhesus negative. “We work together on raising awareness,” Mukamazimpaka said. Blood donors happy with saving lives Josiane Umurerwa, 26, a resident of Gasabo District said she has A+ blood type and was motivated to donate after realising that blood was much sought after in hospitals to save the lives of patients. It was her first time to donate blood. “I used to see patients who had accidents and needed blood because of too much bleeding. So, I committed to donating blood so that people like accident victims and mothers who have delivered and urgently need the blood gets it,” she said. Hassan Habumutima with O+ blood type has been donated blood more than 10 times since 2017. “I donate blood because it saves lives,” he said. Blood collection target This year, RBC targets to collect about 80,000 blood units up from 69,000 blood units that were collected in 2020. Mukamazimpaka indicated that, on average, the demand for blood in hospitals is met at 93 per cent, pointing out that the plan is to fully satisfy the demand. She explained that blood collection targets are based on the demand in hospitals, adding that blood has to be properly kept and managed to avoid wastage. Data from NCBT suggest that only 0.6 per cent of Rwandans donate blood every year. This implies that Rwanda achieved 60 per cent of the recommendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that in order to bridge the deficit in blood transfusion at least 1 per cent of the population should donate blood. Based on the fact that the country has an estimated 12 million people, that would equate to 120,000 units of blood every year.
