Kenyan blood banks are operating at a handicap having only 18% of the needed blood transfusion demand on hand.
The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) is at a three year low currently at 155, 600 units of blood against a needed one million units.
KNBTS has been struggling to meet these needs with diminishing levels of success. This has pushed desperate Kenyans to make blood appeals on social media.
A report by Business Daily on Monday, February 3, found that county hospitals and even the Kenyatta National Hospital had declared their banks empty.
The scarcity can be attributed, in part, to the decision by the United States to cut off funding for transfusion services in September 2019.
Over the course of the previous 15 years, the US has given Kenya $72.5 million (approximately Ksh7.3 billion) to build its blood transfusion infrastructure.
The US government has gradually reduced funding over the course of the last decade. From a high of nearly $6 million (Ksh603 million), aid received last year was only $1.4 million (Ksh 140.7 million).
The government, despite having prior knowledge that the aid would dry up in September failed to include transfusion in the 2019/2020 budget. It has also failed to account for it in this year's budget.
Sabina Chege, the chairperson of the National Assembly health committee, said that the funding would be included in the 2020/2021 budget.
She placed the blame for the situation on the Ministry of Health.
“We told them the cuts were coming. Someone there didn’t do their job.”
As the situation stands, Kenyans are relying on social media to bridge the gaps left in the crumbling transfusion infrastructure.
Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter have played witness to these appeals with people now relying on the kindness of strangers to close the gaps in policy.
