Youth urged to remain HIV negative
Lindiwe Mozola | Wednesday June 17, 2015 16:11
This was said by Phase IV deputy customary court president Kgosi Pogisego Mosarwe, during the World Blood Donor Day commemoration held under the theme, ‘Thank you for saving my life’, which was held at the Tati River Lodge this past weekend.
“We are all aware that HIV/AIDS is a big challenge for blood safety and other health programmes. It’s my hope that each one of us especially the leaders of tomorrow becomes a safe, non-remunerated blood donor for life,” he said. Mosarwe noted that it is the responsibility of the National Blood Transfusion Service in the Ministry of Health to provide safe blood, by implementing appropriate donor selection and testing strategies.
He also said that the World Blood Donor Day is a day that celebrates and recognises unsung heroes, blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donation. When delivering the keynote address, former Miss Botswana Sumyaiah Marope said that the supply of adequate blood is a challenge globally, and Botswana is not an exception. She noted that Botswana has not been able to reach the 40,000 units of blood required annually.
“The shortage of blood has in some unfortunate cases resulted in loss of lives. That is why the Ministry of Health took a decision to decentralise blood collection to health districts,” she said. Since August 2013, blood can now be donated at fixed centres and collected by mobile local hospital teams in Molepolole, Mahalapye, Maun and Serowe.
In addition, another national blood transfusion service is the recent handover of the state-of -the - art Francistown Blood Transfusion center.
The new centre was built with the assistance of the government of the United States of America (USA) through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). It houses blood collection and laboratory facilities. Marope also said that they hope that with the opening of the Francistown region Blood Transfusion Centre and the decentralisation of blood, the ministry had plans to reach the required 40,000 units of blood.
She added that students rank as the highest blood donors adding that they make up to 60 percent of blood units collected in the country.
“This is a very good situation since young people tend to be healthy, idealistic and motivated. We should continue bringing more young people in the blood donation stream,” she said. Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital superintendent Dr Malaki Tshipayagae echoed Marope’s sentiments.
He however extended his gratitude to secondary school management teams around the country for opening their doors to the National Blood Transfusion Service team to train teachers on issues related to blood donation. Tshipiyagae also appreciated Blood Donor Association for their relentless campaigns aimed at empowering people to remain healthy in order to be eligible blood donors.