To draw attention to the role that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing solidarity within communities, this year’s World Blood Donor Day is being commemorated under the theme “Donating blood is an act of solidarity: Join the effort and save lives”. World Blood Donor Day is celebrated each year on 14^th June to raise awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life saving gift of blood.

Blood is a critical component in the health care delivery system, especially for both planned and emergency medical conditions.  Yet blood is not always available in a timely manner, the records always indicate the lack of blood in blood banks across Ghana. It is against this background that MTN Ghana Foundation has over the years organized its annual blood donation campaign dubbed “Save a Life” to support efforts in restocking blood banks across the country and help create awareness on the need for safe blood. To date, over 20,000 pints of blood have been collected since the inception of the initiative in 2011.

In addition, the Foundation in 2021 constructed and handed over a blood bank for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital which is reported to have contributed in reducing maternal and infant mortality by 20%.

Commenting on the Celebration, the Acting Chief Corporate Services Officer of MTN Ghana, Nana Kofi Asare said “As we celebrate World Blood Donor Day, I would like to acknowledge the efforts all the individuals who have over the years taken the initiative to voluntarily donate blood with the sole objective of saving lives. We appreciate their life saving gift of blood.”

 “As the world celebrates World Blood Donor day, I am calling on all eligible blood donors to donate blood at regular intervals to help save lives”.

In recognition of its efforts, the MTN Ghana Foundation was adjudged the highest corporate blood donor in 2013, second highest corporate donor in 2014 and one of the highest corporate donors in 2015.

MTN staff volunteer donating blood at Wa during MTN Save a Life blood donation exercise.

A cross section of MTN staff donating blood