Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority has denied claims that there is a blood shortage in the country.
KTTA chief executive officer Dr Rebecca Kiptui termed the reports as a creation of social media saying they have been carrying out numerous campaigns in all the six regions that have centres.
“There is no blood shortage but people should continue to donate and help those in need, especially with rare blood groups,” she said.
She said that Kenya collected 348,715 pints of blood in 2022, 70 per cent of the targeted total of 500,000 pints and the highest collection since independence.
“This year, KTTA and its other partner organizations aim to collect 1 million pints which is the Universal Health Coverage target," Kiptui said.
She spoke during the launch of a blood drive donation that was held at Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology where they targeted 10,000 people to donate blood.
The CEO also denied reports that medical officers have been stealing donated blood and selling it to neighbouring countries.
Kiptui said the agency is at the forefront of digitising its services to ensure that there is a proper framework in the Health Ministry.
She said the authority intends to build a blood donation culture to attain a perpetual annual collection of 1 million units to safeguard gains made in UHC.
The CEO said the availability of blood will impact maternal survival, reduce waiting times for Kenyans on dialysis and chemotherapy treatment and reduce mortality from trauma.
Kiambu Health executive Dr Elias Maina Mbuthia said that KTTA, being the successor to the Department of the National Blood Transfusion, Tissue, and Human Organ Transplant Services, is required to ensure the safety, biosafety and well-being of donors.
He said this would only be possible through the establishment and maintenance of systems that comply with safety and legal requirements.
“The authority will be tasked with regulating all services relating to human cells, tissue, and organ transplant per the Health Act, 2017, register and license facilities and establishments dealing with human cells, tissues and organs and transplant services, maintain a registry of transplant service providers, donors, and recipients and establish an equitable mechanism for matching and allocation of cells, tissue, and organs,” he said.
KTTA board member Alfred Obengo will continue pushing for a proper framework to guide the sector.
She said that six regional blood transfusion centres, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa, Embu, and the satellite centres at the counties will continue collecting blood.
“The blood donation drive targets young adults aged between 18 to 35 years, one of the reasons which informed the decision to pick Kenyatta University as the launch venue because of the student population at the institution," he said.
