Malawi’s hospitals continue to rely heavily on one unlikely source of blood donors, as demand keeps rising across the country.
Despite rising demand in hospitals, secondary school and college students continue to shoulder most of the burden, as health officials warn that low participation from the wider community is putting pressure on national blood collection efforts.
Kaimvi made the remarks on Monday during a blood donation exercise organised by Airtel Malawi at the Malawi Blood Transfusion Services offices in Lilongwe as part of activities marking World Blood Donor Day.
She said although the centre is currently able to supply hospitals with sufficient blood, the situation remains fragile because collections are largely driven by students.
“We are proud of our donors, but most of our blood is collected from secondary schools and colleges,” said Kaimvi. “This means that when schools are closed, our collections are affected. As a centre, we require over 4,000 units of blood to adequately supply hospitals, which is why we continue encouraging communities, companies and other institutions to actively participate in blood donation.”
According to Kaimvi, broadening the donor base is critical to ensuring a stable blood supply throughout the year, particularly for accident victims, mothers experiencing childbirth complications and patients undergoing surgery or treatment for serious illnesses.
She commended Airtel Malawi for partnering with MBTS in mobilising employees to donate blood, saying such initiatives help supplement collections while raising awareness about the importance of voluntary blood donation.
Airtel Malawi Managing Director Aashish Dutt said the company considers blood donation a vital component of its corporate social responsibility programme.
“A few minutes of blood donation can mean a lifetime for someone else,” said Dutt. “Blood cannot be manufactured and depends entirely on the willingness of people to donate and save lives.”
The event also attracted long-time donor Andrew Mchisa, a teacher who made his 90th blood donation. Mchisa said he began donating blood in 1993 after his father required a blood transfusion following surgery, an experience that inspired him to become a regular donor.
He urged more Malawians to embrace blood donation, saying the need for blood cuts across all sections of society and can mean the difference between life and death for patients in need.
