OUAGADOUGOU – The Ministry of Health in Burkina Faso has set an ambitious goal to collect 235,928 blood bags in 2024 to support children suffering from anemia and women during childbirth.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Health Minister Lucien Robert Kargougou announced the target during World Blood Donor Day, emphasizing the importance of voluntary and regular donations to meet these needs. The calculation of the target is based on the WHO’s method for estimating theoretical blood supply needs. In 2023, Burkina Faso collected 135,818 blood bags which were safely treated before transfusion. The primary recipients of these transfusions are children under five years old and women aged 15 to 49, who represent 60% of the beneficiaries. This demographic is the most affected by anemia due to malaria and hemorrhagic conditions during childbirth prevalent in the region. Minister Kargougou also highlighted the significant role of loyal donors who constituted 29.95% of donations in 2023, which is just shy of the expected rate of over 30%.