(Greenville, Sinoe County, June 11, 2025) – The Ministry of Health on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, launched a massive awareness campaign on blood donation by kickstarting the campaign in Greenville, Sinoe County, at the F. J. Grante Hospital.
Dr. John Yarngroble, Sinoe County Health Officer, made the opening statement by welcoming everyone from the Ministry of Health, Sinoe County Health Team, and the local stakeholders who were invited to the opening program. “Thanks for choosing Sinoe as the first county for this awareness. We’ll work with your team to ensure that the message reaches all parts of the county through our decentralized structures, ensuring it is received by our people. I trust my people in Sinoe; it’s going to be a door-to-door engagement,” he emphasized.
The National Awareness Campaign on Voluntary Non-Paid Blood Donation is being spearheaded by the National Blood Safety Program (NBSP) of the Ministry of Health (MOH), held under the theme, “A National Call for Increased Awareness on Voluntary Non-Paid/Free Blood Donation”. The awareness will include radio stations, marketplaces, clinics, schools, businesses, city centers, and religious centers, among others. These points of community engagement will bring the residents of the county in direct contact with the team from the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Onyekachi C. Subah, Director of the National Blood Safety Program – MOH, expressed excitement to be in the county and made a presentation on the overview of the National Blood Safety Program. “Voluntary Non-Paid Blood Donation is currently taking place at the two Regional Blood Centers in the Country, in Montserrado and Bong Counties, respectively. With support from the World Bank, the National Blood Safety Program has been able to conduct Assessments of Health facilities and has established a baseline for the southeastern Blood transfusion system. Based on this, the program’s focus right now is to improve voluntary blood donation, and to provide safe blood in Sinoe and neighboring counties” she stated. “After this official launch of the campaign here in Sinoe County, it’ll be rolled out nationwide. I’m calling on everyone to support voluntary blood donation, in order to strengthen healthcare service delivery, reduce maternal and neonatal deaths, and keep the heart of Liberia beating.”
Speaking on behalf of the Superintendent of Sinoe County, Mr. Patrick S. Wilson, Sr., thanked the Ministry of Health for bringing this awareness to the county. “The process of citizens donating blood is essential to the county’s healthcare system. Further discussion on the donation of blood in the county will be addressed during the next County Health Board Meeting, and dissemination of the message will be carried out with the various stakeholders of the county,” he stressed.
The purpose of this week-long awareness is to educate the people of Sinoe County on voluntary, non-paid/free blood donation. Information for citizens intending to donate blood include: Ages from 18 to 65 are capable of donating blood; healthy individuals free from diseases; individual weight must be 50kg or 110 pounds and above; blood level (hemoglobin) in must be 12g/dl and above; males can donate blood every three months; females can donate blood every four months; blood donors will be provided counseling services; and blood serves as a medicine in healthcare service delivery.
The opening program brought together county officials, traditional leaders, the county health board, religious groups, women’s groups, youth groups, civil society organizations, and staff of the F. J. Grante Hospital, as well as residents of Greenville. This initiative showcases support and collaboration from the people of Sinoe to the Sinoe County Health Team of the Ministry of Health.
The National Blood Safety Program of the Ministry of Health was established in 2008 to ensure a healthy population for all.