The Lagos State government plans to increase the number of donated blood units from the current 115,000 to 200,000 in order to meet the annual requirement and align with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) benchmark.

Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, reviewed the activities organized by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) for the upcoming World Blood Donor Day on June 14.

The LSBTS has implemented a hybrid approach, combining decentralized blood services with centralized post-collection processing and regulatory activities.

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They produce various blood components from voluntarily donated blood and have expanded storage facilities for better accessibility.

The LSBTS has also automated the screening and certification of blood, implemented a Blood Inventory Management System, and extended phenotyping of blood group antigens to minimize adverse transfusion reactions.

To raise awareness and commemorate the event, the LSBTS has organized a youth extravaganza, facility tours, and a symposium/scientific conference.

The slogan for this year’s campaign is “Give Blood, Give Plasma, Share Life, Share Often.”

The LSBTS encourages eligible citizens to donate blood at dedicated centers for the benefit of patients in need, as there is a constant demand for blood every two seconds.