Ghana’s National Blood Service exceeded its collection target for 2025 but still failed to meet nearly 34 percent of the country’s blood requirements, leaving patients vulnerable and struggling to access timely transfusions, officials have disclosed.
The Service collected 204,000 units of blood last year, surpassing its target of 200,000 units, Chief Executive Officer Dr Shirley Owusu-Ofori announced at the Service’s Annual Performance Review in Accra on March 31.
Despite the overperformance, the figure represents only about 66 percent of the estimated national requirement of 308,000 units.
Dr Owusu-Ofori described the persistent gap as a major concern, noting that each unit of blood carries life-saving value for vulnerable patients.
“A persistent and growing demand for blood across this nation stretched us as a service, but the gap between supply and demand remains a major concern,” she said.
The CEO attributed the shortfall to multiple structural challenges, including limited logistics, funding constraints, and low voluntary blood donation rates. Ageing vehicles and inadequate transport systems, she explained, have disrupted outreach efforts and reduced the number of mobile donation sessions the Service can conduct.
Public misconceptions and negative past experiences also continue to act as barriers to voluntary donation, she added.
Dr Owusu-Ofori urged the government, private organisations, and the public to support efforts to expand voluntary donation and strengthen the national blood system.
She announced that the Service has developed a national digital information management system to track blood from donation to transfusion and improve access.
“This is one thing I want you to put your money on to help us roll out a system that will digitalise and revolutionise blood services across the whole country,” she said.
“Blood donation is not only a solitary act, but a communal covenant that binds donors, health workers and patients in a common purpose of preserving life,” the CEO added.
