Everywhere on earth, blood donors make a difference. But in Ghana, a country with 34 million people and blood donor participation well under 1%, each act of blood donation matters all the more.
Ghana's low donor participation, while not unique to the country, can be attributed at least in part to a lack of awareness and misconceptions surrounding blood donation. That's why Global Blood Fund, an OBI-founded nonprofit with a mission to improve blood safety and accessibility in poorly resourced countries, recently worked with National Blood Service Ghana, or NBSG, to bring awareness to the critical importance of a healthy blood supply.
From July to November 2023, GBF and NBSG conducted a "Know Your Type" blood education campaign, with events organized at businesses, schools and religious organizations across the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The result? Over 3,800 participants were tested and given information about blood donation and their blood type.
"Thank you for helping our congregation members to know our blood group," said Eugene Akuamoah Addo, a catechist for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, following one of the campaign's 23 events. "By determining our blood group, you have empowered us to help others in a meaningful way."
Even more impactful, however, was what happened after. In a survey of "Know Your Type" participants, over half of respondents reported giving blood.
"At least 289 residents of Ghana told us they gave blood following this campaign," said GBF Executive Director Gavin Evans. "It's my hope that those donors, along with the more than 3,500 other Ghanaians who now know their blood type, will be the spark needed to make sustainable change here – I believe they can."
