The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr. Garba Abari has halied the visit of the National Coordinator, National Blood Transmission Service (NBTS), Dr. Omale Amedu over planned sensitization campaign to deepen awareness of citizens towards safe blood donation and transmission in Nigeria.
Abari made this comment when he received Amedu during a visit to the Agency to discuss partnetship that would scale up awareness campaign to encourage Nigerians to voluntarily donate blood to Blood Reserve for medical purposes.
“NOA will be glad to partner with a very important and strategic organization like National Blood Transmission Service (NBTS). Proper and sustained sensitization will help to reduce avoidable infections through blood transmission,” Abari.
“Awareness campaign can also help to remove myths surrounding donating at regular intervals. We will work towards changing perceptions and cultural beliefs regarding blood donation and transportation,” Abari added.
Earlier, National Coordinator, NBTS Amedu said his organization would ensure that citizens have access to safe blood to achieve a healthy nation while revealing that diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C as well as Siphilis are mainly transmitted through blood.
“We intend to partner with relevant organizations to create needed awareness to reverse the trend of unsafe blood transmission. We want to also encourage Nigerians to donate blood freely for humanity. This is to increase blood reserve at different National Strategic Safe Blood Reserve locations across the country,” Amedu.
NTBS is working to ensure availability of safe blood across the country. Blood bank reserve has been on increase mainly because of better awareness for voluntary donations.
NOA Situation Room