Nigeria and the Netherlands have entered into a strategic agreement to alleviate blood shortages
Nigeria, Netherlands forge partnership to tackle blood shortages
Nigeria and the Netherlands have entered into a strategic agreement to alleviate blood shortages, ultimately reducing unnecessary suffering and fatalities.
The collaboration was formalised in Abuja, where the Health Minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasised its alignment with the National Health Plan and the vision of President Bola Tinubu to establish a coordinated blood ecosystem.
Minister Pate highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating that it would contribute to increasing the blood supply in Nigeria.
Additionally, he emphasised that the agreement would unlock the health sector value chain, fostering private sector participation.
“The partnership to initiate an autologous blood service resonates with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of establishing a coordinated blood ecosystem.
“This partnership aligns with the National Health Plan and the Presidential initiative to unlock the health sector value chain and encourage private sector participation.
“Its primary goal, however, is to increase the blood supply, thereby saving the lives of numerous Nigerians,” Pate said.
Saleh Yuguda, Director-General of the National Blood Service Commission (NBSC), expressed optimism about the partnership’s impact on reducing blood shortages, particularly in treating conditions such as cancer and sickle cell anaemia.
“We expect this will help boost synergy for blood value chain optimisation and increase blood supply quality and efficiencies, thereby reducing pains and saving Nigerian lives.
“Incorporating autologous transfusions will significantly mitigate blood shortages in critical situations, enabling us to reserve donated blood for treating conditions like sickle cell anaemia and cancer,” Yuguda stated.
Marjolijn Sonnema, Dutch Deputy Minister for Public Health, acknowledged the challenges of implementing autologous blood transfusion services in regions with limited resources.
However, she expressed confidence that the partnership would overcome these barriers by introducing HemoClear’s pioneering micro-filtration technology.
Vincent Franssen, CEO of HemoClear, emphasised that partnering with the NBSC, a regional leader in blood service expertise, ensures streamlined implementation support, premier clinical training, and logistics know-how.
He added that the collaboration sets the stage for future local production.
“The partnership promises to enhance blood supply, quality, and efficiency in Nigeria, particularly in critical medical situations,” he noted.