By AFAYO SHADRACH BETHEL

The Uganda Blood Transfusion Services has raised concern over decreasing blood stocks which experts are now attributing to a high number of road traffic accidents and a surge in malaria.

The Blood Collection Clinical Team lead at the Nakasero Blood Bank Samuel Davis Wante said the stocks they had stored to take them through this period when students, who are Uganda’s main donors are still away from schools in their holidays quickly got depleted as demand for blood starting increasing in late November.

As a result of this, Wante says that they have resolved to set up collection points in various crowded places and the often-populated Pentecostal churches.


A Senior Pediatrician at Mulago Hospital Prof. Richard Idro said the demand for blood increased with the surge in malaria cases where most of the children with severe malaria are reporting to hospitals with anemia requiring transfusion.

Idro said while UBTS tried to collect up to 80 percent of their 450,000 units annual target, boda boda injuries and other road traffic accidents have put a strain on the stocks.