By: Bashir Hassan Abubakar
To combat Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rates, the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Bauchi State Chapter, launched a targeted blood donation campaign at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital.
Held to mark World Blood Donor Day 2026 under the theme “Give Blood, Save a Mother: Every Drop Counts,” the initiative addresses postpartum haemorrhage (PPH)—excessive bleeding after childbirth—which remains a leading cause of maternal deaths in the country.
The campaign is part of the three-year AIM MNCNH Innovations Project, a 16-state initiative led by the Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP) alongside MWAN, Pathfinder International, and CCSI to boost life-saving maternal and child health innovations.
MWAN medical experts Dr. Kaltumi Shaibu and Dr. Khadija Mukhtar highlighted the urgency of the campaign, noting that Nigeria accounts for over 25% of maternal deaths globally. They identified high rates of unbooked pregnancies and out-of-facility births without skilled attendants as major barriers that prevent women from receiving timely interventions like the WHO-endorsed E-MOTIVE package. Furthermore, weak donation systems, poor infrastructure, and inadequate management protocols leave rural and underserved communities facing severe shortages of safe, life-saving blood during childbirth emergencies.
In response to these systemic shortages, the doctors called for strengthened national blood supply chains and a cultural shift toward voluntary donations.
Participants at the event echoed this call, describing voluntary blood donation as a vital civic responsibility. Both organizers and donors emphasized that building a robust, reliable blood supply is a critical, frontline intervention that can mean the difference between life and death for mothers across Nigeria.
