Nigeria faces a blood shortage, with the annual demand for blood exceeding its supply, reaching a staggering 1.7 million units.
A group of young people decided to address these crises by ensuring a consistent stream of blood donations to aid critical care patients, including accident victims, cancer patients, postpartum haemorrhaged women, and sickle cell patients.
Dr. Chidinma Okoro and Adewole Solomon founded The BloodDrive Network (TBDN) Foundation, a youth-led organisation rallying regular blood donations from committed and healthy young volunteers in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
In 2021, John, a sickle cell patient, faced a sequestration crisis (a medical condition where red blood cells pool in the spleen and liver). With no money, help, or family support, his hospital reached out to TBDN about his blood need, and they organised two donors who donated the needed blood for transfusion, ensuring John is still alive today.
John shared “I was already dying. I had no family in Ibadan to help me or enough money. However, the TBDN was spoken to on my behalf, and they acted fast to get donors to donate for me, and I was immediately transfused. Without their help, only God knows what would have happened to me. Maybe I wouldn’t be alive to tell the story.”
Last year, their efforts gained global recognition with the MOONSHOT Global Awards, ranking among the top 100 innovative social impact projects and securing a spot in the Top 20 in the Emergency Response Category.
The BloodDrive Network partners with CHRISBO HB Champions Club and a blood bank service centre for sickle cell patients in Ibadan, ensuring free blood transfusions during crises. Collaborations with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, the Nigerian National Blood Service Commission Headquarters, Abuja, and the South-West Zonal Centre resulted in a video documentary called “Vein-Vein” (a project by TBDN and her partners) tracking the journey of blood from the moment the donor donates it, the tests run on it by the blood bank officials and medical lab scientists, to when it is banked in the blood bank, and until a recipient who needs it requests and eventually gets the matching blood type.
Beyond mere statistics, TBDN’s true impact shines through instances like a traffic accident victim requiring 12 pints of blood. Swiftly responding to the plea for help, TBDN activated its donor community and networks, surpassing the required number of donors. With over 580 blood pints donated by dedicated young volunteers, positively impacting more than 150 recipients, TBDN views their achievement not as an end but as the beginning of a movement towards a healthier, more compassionate society.
Hopeful about the future, Dr. Okoro says, “Our vision extends beyond meeting immediate blood demand. We aim to instil a sense of responsibility in young people, making them see blood donation as part of their duty to society. She emphasized the value of innovation in healthcare, advocating for human-centered technology that is based on people’s needs.
TBDN shows how young dedication and community action can make a difference. They are not only dealing with a problem; they’re also demonstrating how communities can improve healthcare. how this youth-led organisation saves lives in Ibadan, one pint at a time.
