With the world celebrating the World Blood Donor Day, Executive Vice President, Diagnostics, Africa, at Roche Diagnostics, Dr Allan Pamba, has called for more community donations of blood.

According to him, the World Blood Donor Day highlights the urgent need for safe blood for patients in need of donations for various health emergencies or diseases.

He said: “Across SubSaharan Africa, we call on our communities to prioritise giving the gift of blood. Each of us has the opportunity to become part of a lifesaving solution.

“From maternity wards to trauma units, from children battling leukaemia to patients undergoing surgery, blood remains a critical and irreplaceable lifeline2. Blood saves lives.

This is not a metaphor, but a biological truth. “Still, in low-to-middleincome countries – many of which are in Africa – the life-saving power of blood is out of reach in many communities.”