BIG STORY
Mbale Blood Bank Reports Low Infection Rates in Donated Blood
By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
The Mbale Regional Blood Bank has reported promising results regarding the safety of donated blood, revealing that only 22 units out of every 1,000 (2%) test positive for infections such as Hepatitis, HIV, and Syphilis.
Notably, the infection rate is significantly lower in blood collected from secondary schools, which accounts for just 10% of the infected blood, compared to 90% from the general public.
Secondary schools contribute 75% of the annual blood collection, with the remaining 25% coming from the general public.
This low infection rate reflects the overall health of blood donors in the region.
Dr. Ahmed Bumba, Director of the Mbale Regional Blood Bank, on Friday, 16th August, 2024 emphasized the importance of maintaining this positive trend by urging donors to avoid risky sexual behavior.
“Keep yourself safe, first for yourself, and keep yourself safe so that you keep donating blood to save other lives,” Bumba advised, stressing the importance of abstinence, fidelity, and condom use.
Dr. Bumba also highlighted the significant costs involved in disposing off infected blood, making it crucial for the community to remain vigilant about their health. He added, “Keep safe, keep donating blood because safe blood saves lives.”
Positive blood is very expensive for the Blood Bank because they have to incur extra expenses to incinerate it in Jinja.
Bumba appreciated students and school heads for the enormous blood donations which have seen a steady blood supply in the past three months. He issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to prevent a looming shortage.
With students, who make up the bulk of regular donors, soon leaving for holidays, there is growing concern over potential blood crises, particularly threatening the lives of children and expectant mothers.