LSBTS raises alarm over looming blood shortage, urges stronger donor mobilisation

With hospitals grappling with rising emergencies and an overstretched blood supply system, the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) has issued a warning, mobilising donor advocates, partners and civil society groups to prevent a potential blood crisis in the state.

At the 2026 Blood Donor Mobiliser Stakeholders’ Engagement held on Wednesday in Alausa, Ikeja, stakeholders were urged to scale up community-based mobilisation to address sharp fluctuations in voluntary blood donation that continue to endanger patient outcomes across Lagos.

The Executive Secretary of LSBTS, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, cautioned that while the demand for blood remains steady due to childbirth complications, road traffic accidents, surgical procedures, sickle cell crises and cancer treatment, donation levels are inconsistent and typically drop during festive seasons.

“Blood cannot be manufactured or replaced,” she said. “When donations drop, lives are put on hold.” She noted that the sharp decline in donations in December exposed deep vulnerabilities in Lagos’ blood supply chain and reinforced the urgency of sustained, year-round mobilisation.

Osikomaiya stressed that voluntary, non-remunerated donation remains the safest and most sustainable source of blood, describing donor mobilisers as the frontline defenders in the fight to save lives.

According to her, no amount of infrastructure or policy can compensate for the absence of willing donors and trusted community voices.

She disclosed that LSBTS’ 2026 strategy would prioritise turning one-time donors into regular life-savers through improved donor care, recognition and a referral-driven “each one, reach one or two” model, designed to multiply impact at the grassroots.

The engagement, she added, was structured to deliver action rather than rhetoric, with clear performance benchmarks, simple reporting systems and outreach plans tailored to Lagos realities such as traffic congestion, distance and limited time.

Providing insight into current realities, Head of Donor Recruitment and Retention, Ms Olayinka Animashaun, revealed that in 2025, LSBTS recruited 7,670 donors, recording 5,656 successful donations from 216 blood drives across the state.

While improved face-to-face advocacy and better donor experience boosted turnout, she said persistent myths, low awareness, poor internet access and space constraints continue to limit optimal performance.

Animashaun said the 2026 push would focus on deeper community penetration, sustained education and dismantling misconceptions that keep otherwise eligible residents away from donation centres.

Partners echoed the urgency. President, Rotary Club of Lagos Palm Grove Estate, Rotarian Pravin Kumar, described Lagos as a critical link between donors and patients, noting that Rotary clubs remain key responders to emergency blood needs. He said Palm Grove Estate donates about 500 pints of blood annually, with plans to double the figure through intensified mobilisation.

Co-founder, One Health Lifesavers, Mr Idris Ibrahim, said collaboration was no longer optional, stressing that shared networks and pooled resources were essential to reaching more residents and running multiple donation drives simultaneously.

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Similarly, PRO, KBK Club, Mr Kamal Safiriyu, said the forum offered a moment for honest reflection and strategic reset, adding that stronger partnerships were crucial to reversing donation gaps.

Founder and CEO, Diabetes & Limb Salvage Foundation, Mrs Osarenkhoe Chima Nwagwugwu, gave the issue a human face, recounting her struggle to access blood in December. She described blood donation as a non-negotiable social responsibility and urged families and communities to make it a constant conversation.

“Blood should never be searched for only in emergencies,” she said, calling on residents to see voluntary donation as a civic duty rather than an occasional act of charity.

The engagement ended with a renewed commitment by stakeholders to strengthen trust, expand coordinated outreach and work closely with LSBTS to ensure that no patient in Lagos is denied life-saving blood when it matters most.