Kenyans donating blood will be appreciated in kind if the plan between the government and the private sector succeeds.
This is aimed at ensuring that more people donate blood, which has always been scarce in the country.
Dr Nduku Kilonzo, the managing director of the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) said the idea was borrowed from countries that have done well in blood donation coverage.
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Dr Kilonzo was speaking yesterday during a blood donation drive by more than 50 diplomats at Strathmore University, Nairobi.
“We are looking for ways of ensuring that we have enough blood in the country for our people. If appreciating people by giving them, for instance, even a litre of cooking oil, will motivate Kenyans to donate blood, then we will go in that direction,” says Dr Kilonzo.
She said her institution was in talks with partners to come on board in the initiative.
“We are going to sit down and come up with an initiative that is sustainable and we will ensure that everyone is appreciated for their time,” she said.
The drive comes a day after the country held a celebration to mark the World Blood Donor Day in Nyandarua County, which saw about 270 pints of blood collected locally.
The government has also operationalised a National Youth Council to spearhead matters related to blood donation and transfusion, an effort that will see the young people also earn from blood.
This is aimed at motivating the youth to donate blood, as well as earn a living from managing the process.
By May this year, the country had collected about 200,000 units of blood, from a target of 400,000 pints for the year, which will be an increase from about 200,000 collected last year.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said Kenya was on the right path to becoming self-sufficient in blood transfusion, with many patients in emergency cases getting access to blood.
"I can confidently say that in Kenya we are doing very well in blood transfusion matters. Our next step is to have the exercise digitized. We are planning to have blood collection points in all counties to make it easy for blood donors with digitised distribution network,” said Dr Mwangangi.
She added: “We are observing a fall in the number of blood appeals in the country and an increase in public participation in blood donation.”
Kenya requires a minimum of 500,000 units of blood every year to meet the demand.
The blood collection has increased from 172, 000 to 297, 000 units in the last two years, said Dr Mwangangi.
"To ensure adequate blood and blood components in the country, the Health ministry undertook significant reforms towards leadership and management of blood transfusion-related matters. This has given us encouraging results," said Dr Mwangangi.
Currently, the country has six regional blood transfusion centres and 30 fully functional blood satellites, with plans under way to equip each county with a satellite centre.
“There are 15 additional new approved satellites in the country, which are currently under construction. Each county government has a county blood transfusion officer (CBTO) who coordinates blood services at the county level and works collaboratively with regional centres, satellites, and health facilities,” Dr Kilonzo said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), for a country to meet its blood needs, the annual blood donation should be three per cent of its population. Kenya is estimated to have a population of 50 million people.
“We have developed and implemented innovative strategies to engage and create public awareness on the importance of blood donation and how the blood ecosystem operates. This has increased the number of donors recruited as voluntary non-remunerated donors in the country,” she said.
Compared to other regions globally, the WHO indicated that Africa sees a disproportionate number of conditions, including haemorrhage associated with pregnancy and childbirth, severe anaemia due to malaria and malnutrition, bone marrow and inherited blood disorders, trauma and accidents, as well as man-made and natural disasters requiring donor blood, impacting as many as seven million patients every year.
While the need for donor blood is universal, access for everyone who needs it is not. In Africa, demand regularly outstrips supply, negatively impacting timely access for all patients who need safe and quality-assured blood to save their lives.
“The situation remains challenging, and it is exacerbated by issues such as staff shortages and limited funding from governments and partners organisations for effective blood donor education, recruitment, and retention,” says the WHO.
