Blood Drive Initiative: June 2011

Tomorrow is the D-day

Tomorrow is the d-day. Hope to see you all at Ibadan (BDI's national
headquarter), venue of the Intellectual discourse to commemorate WBDD
2011 as well as Presentation/Launching of the our foremost advocacy
book - "Crimson Dynamics - Sustainable Blood Supply in Nigeria - The
Inside Out" written by Paul Adepoju for Blood Drive Initiative. The
topic of discourse is 'Availability of Safe Blood: Perspectives of
Teaching Hospital and NBTS'. Speakers are: Dr. (Mrs) Ifeoma Ogbue,
National Coordinator, NBTS and Mr. Idris Saliu, Safe Blood For Africa
Foundation, Abuja.
--
Adeluwoye Adekunle Oluwatosin
Executive Director, Operations
Blood Drive Initiative (BDI)
Ibadan, Nigeria.
(T): +234(0)8035434655, +234(0)7040787897
(E): princekunlzy@gmail.com
(B): http://www.bdinitiative.blogspot.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------
BLOOD DRIVE INITIATIVE (BDI), founded in June 2005 in the University
College Hospital Ibadan, is a youth-led non-governmental organization
with a desire to provide safe and sustainable blood supply to meet the
rising need for blood and blood products amidst of daunting challenges
facing availability of 'Safe Blood' in Nigeria. A fast growing network
of youth advocates and volunteer blood donors, BDI's main shove is to
be the change in the Blood Transfusion Service sector of the
healthcare system by bridging the chasm that exists between need and
opportunity via encouraging the right kind of people to adopt a
lifestyle of voluntary blood donation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is better lived, when shared in love. Give blood. Share life!

Open letter to MTN

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: BLOOD DRIVE INITIATIVE <bdinitiative@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:31:42 +0100
Subject: Open letter to MTN
To: ladyjennies@yahoo.com, adepojupaul@gmail.com, adekoga@yahoo.com,
princekunlzy@gmail.com, comrado174@yahoo.com,
ifeoluwa.adeyemi@yahoo.com, healthnews@channelstv.com,
goodpeopleguardian@gmail.com, unique_inhim@yahoo.com

To:
The Management Board and staff of MTN Nigeria and MTN Foundation
Dear All,
THANK YOU
I write on behalf of all the countless number of Nigerians whose lives
have been saved by safe blood transfusion and on behalf of 'faceless'
but highly esteemed voluntary blood donors whose priceless gift of
blood has redeemed many lives, to say 'Thank you' to MTN for being the
very first corporate body to acknoledge the existence of and to
commemorate/celebrate the World Blood Donorsl Day. This act lends
great credence to the fact that MTN is a socially responsive
organization.

Though MTN has no direct business relations with blood and blood
donation, they have done this in cognizance of the untold number lives
that have been saved, are being saved and will be saved by safe blood.

We thank them for this kind gesture and urge other corporate bodies
and institutions to awaken to their responsibility.

Availability of safe blood ties directly with the attainment of MDGs
4, 5, and 6. We can achieve these goals only if we team up. As it is
said Together Everybody Achieves More.

Yours,
Lala Oluwatobi K
Executive Director, Admin
Blood Drive Initiative

BDI is a registered incorporated trust under Corporate Affairs
Commission, Nigeria. It is a member of the Global Health Council and
an Associate Member of the International Federation of Blood Donor
Organizations

--
Life makes sense when there is someone to share it with.

You all are cherished!

Special thanks too to all Blood Drive Initiative members committed to
the cause of ensuring the availability of safe blood in our dear
nation Nigeria. Sincerely, every of the success is due you, as it is a
collective one, while the glory is due to God only. You all are
Cherished!
--
Adeluwoye Adekunle Oluwatosin
Executive Director, Operations
Blood Drive Initiative (BDI)
Ibadan, Nigeria.
(T): +234(0)8035434655, +234(0)7040787897
(E): princekunlzy@gmail.com
(B): http://www.bdinitiative.blogspot.com

You are all CELEBRITIES!

I must say a BIG thank you to all life savers - all Voluntary
Non-Remunerative Blood Donors (VNRBD) who have given and will still
give the priceless gift of safe blood to people they never knew or
would likely meet. You are all CELEBRITIES. Love you all!
--
Adeluwoye Adekunle Oluwatosin
Executive Director, Operations
Blood Drive Initiative (BDI)
Ibadan, Nigeria.
(T): +234(0)8035434655, +234(0)7040787897
(E): princekunlzy@gmail.com
(B): http://www.bdinitiative.blogspot.com

BDI on Channels TV

I must start by commending the work of the duo of BDI's Zonal Operations 2 director, Mr Adeniji Adekoga and ED_Ops Mr Adekunle Adeluwoye, whose initiative, proactiveness and tenaciousness paved the way for the interview. My first call was at Channels office at ikorodu road in Maryland, Lagos where i was received, firstly, by BDI's care director Miss Ifeoluwa Adeyemi and then by the staff of Channels TV. We went on from their to Channels' TV permanent site at Isheri, Lagos where the interview was conducted and recorded. The interview is scheduled to be aired today by 8:30pm on the Channels network. Please stay tuned!

THE NEED TO SAVE A LIFE

The World Health Assembly set aside June 14^th of every year to celebrate and thank those who donate blood for altruistic reasons (voluntary unpaid blood donors). The June date was selected as it is the anniversary of the birth of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel Prize winner who discovered the ABO blood group system in 1907, which has made blood transfusions a key part of modern medicine since 1930.

The aim of designating a special day each year to celebrate the role of these blood donors in health care around the world is to motivate more individuals to become regular voluntary unpaid blood donors; create wider awareness of the vital role of blood transfusion in saving lives and improving the health of millions of people each year; to recognize regular voluntary unpaid donors as public health role models; and to promote a healthy life style among the populace to encourage them to donate blood regularly.

The theme for this year World Blood Donor Day is, "More blood, More life." This theme reinforces the vital role of blood transfusion in saving lives and urgent need for more people all over the world to become lifesavers by volunteering to donate blood regularly.

The need for safe and secured supplies of blood and blood products is universal. Worldwide, at least 90 million units of blood are donated each year to save lives and improve health. However, demand for blood for transfusion continues to increase, and many countries cannot meet the existing needs. In many regions, this means inadequate supplies to replace blood lost in childbirth (a major cause of maternal deaths) and to treat anaemia that threatens the lives of children who have malaria or are undernourished. Everywhere, blood and blood products are needed by a growing number of people: those injured in road traffic accidents, those with congenital blood disorders and for routine emergency surgery and life-saving treatment.

Today, 62 countries have blood transfusion services based entirely on voluntary blood donation, compared to 39 in 2002 and 57 in 2007. Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Kenya (Africa) and Zambia (Africa) are the latest to join this list. Nigeria is yet to achieve this status. Other African countries that have achieved this before are South Africa, Zimbabwe and others.

The need to achieve 100% voluntary blood donation is very crucial especially in our nation Nigeria as facts show that;

More than half a million women die each year during pregnancy, childbirth or in the postpartum period – Nigeria has the highest incidence of 1 in every 13 maternal deaths recorded globally
One out of every 3 women who die during pregnancy or childbirth is as a result of severe bleeding.
One out of every 5 children dies before their 5^th birthday mainly due to unavailability of safe blood when needed.
In sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 3 million units of blood are collected each year for a population of more than 700 million people.
In the case of accidents and other disasters, 35% of pre-hospital deaths and over 40% of deaths within 24 hours is due to haemorrhage (profuse blood loss). 9 out of every 10 people who need blood may not get safe blood.
The prevalence of HIV, hepatitis viruses and other blood-borne infections in paid and family replacement donors common in our society continues to make the availability of safe blood for patients in need, a far-fetched goal.

The aforementioned facts among others, shows why we need to campaign for Voluntary Non Remunerated Blood Donation (VNRBD) from low risk population of voluntary donors as recommended by the apex world health organization (WHO). Safe Blood Donors (i.e. VNRBD) therefore, are the cornerstone of a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products, which will avert the trend of these facts.

Overall, the benefits of a regular, voluntary blood donation are:

Donor

Provides health education and encourages maintenance of healthy lifestyles
Provides regular health checks
Increases self-esteem
Develops role models and donor motivators
Earns recognition from the community
Provides social engagement and a sense of belonging.

Blood Service

Enables provision of a sustainable, quality and accessible blood supply –

matching supply and demand

Potentially reduces rates of transfusion-transmitted infections
Forges partnerships with community
Enhances public confidence regarding blood safety and availability
Facilitates effective planning and budget management
Contributes to cost efficiencies – donor retention vs new donor recruitment and

inventory management

Reduces administrative tasks associated with family replacement systems.

Patient

Equitable access to safe blood, during emergency situations and disasters.
Improves community health and health outcomes.
Reduced risk of immunological complications and adverse reactions.
Creates a sense of being 'cared for' by others.
Less pressure on family/patient to find donors.
Motivates a spirit of generosity, providing possibilities for reciprocal volunteering

in the future.

Community

Ensures availability of blood, during emergencies and disasters.
Promotes healthy lifestyles.
Creates a sense of community spirit and pride.
Encourages volunteerism and community participation.
Encourages community partnerships and networks
Increased community pride/self esteem.
Improved quality of life.

Blood drive initiative (BDI) an organization with the desire to provide safe and sustainable blood supply to meet the rising need for blood and blood products in the country have noted that "the average, educated, healthy and well- to-do'' citizen of this country whose life style is compatible with the criteria for a healthy donor do not donate blood unless compelled by circumstances this shouldn't be the attitude of citizenry to blood donation but should be altruistic.

Towards this BDI , a youth-based organization is in the front gear of canvassing for 100% voluntary non remunerative blood donation in Nigeria and is currently operating from University and community based detachment such as AAU, LAUTECH (Oshogbo and Ogbomosho), UNIILORIN, EBSU ,UI,UNAAB, UNICAL ,UNIILAG , FEDPOLY EDE.

Join BDI and other organizations in this humanitarian efforts to ensure that Nigeria achieve 100% voluntary non remunerated regular blood donation by giving those in need of blood another chance at life.

Adekoga Adeniji ,N.
DIRECTOR OF ZONAL OPERATIONS-2
BLOOD DRIVE INITIATIVE.

08033949820

www.bdinitiative.blogspot.com

www.bdi.org.ng

www.adekoga.blogspot.com

REFERENCES

http://wbdd.org/fileadmin/Fil_Arkiv/PDF-diverse/WBDD-booklet.pdf

http://wbdd.org/fileadmin/2011/WBDD_2011_English.pdf

http://www.fiods.org

www.bdinitiative.blogspot.com

www.who.int/bloodsafety

http://www.who.int/worldblooddonorday/media/Global_Blood_Safety_and_Availability_Key_facts_figures_2010.pdf