Health 14 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Faces Critical Blood Shortages, Impacting 1 in 10 Patients
Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) reports that despite increased collections, approximately 10% of patients in need of blood are not receiving it due to persistent shortages. Factors contributing to this deficit include insufficient donor numbers and funding challenges, alongside high demand driven by preventable conditions. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/one-in-10-ugandans-in-need-of-blood-miss-out-due-to-shortages-5495880
Officials at the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) have highlighted a significant public health concern: one in every ten Ugandans requiring blood transfusions are not receiving them due to ongoing supply shortages. UBTS executive director Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune Byabazaire stated that the service struggles to meet the nation’s blood needs, citing a lack of adequate donors and insufficient funding.
While blood collections have seen a positive upward trend over the past three years, reaching 439,000 units last year, this figure falls short of the World Health Organization’s recommended standard of collecting one percent of the population’s blood – approximately 500,000 units for Uganda’s 50 million people. Consequently, the service can only meet about 90 percent of the national demand.
Dr. Byabazaire emphasized that the current collection levels would be adequate if key conditions driving blood demand were effectively managed. Diseases like malaria, which cause severe anemia in children, are a primary driver, accounting for roughly 60 percent of blood consumption. Other significant demands stem from complications during childbirth, road traffic accident victims, and patients with terminal illnesses such as cancer.
Preventable conditions are a major drain on blood resources. Malaria, which affects a vast portion of Uganda’s population and causes numerous child deaths, is a significant contributor to anemia. Similarly, improved road safety measures could reduce the number of accident victims requiring transfusions, and better antenatal care could prevent many postpartum hemorrhages.
The UBTS faces financial hurdles in their operations, with an estimated cost of $100 per unit of blood to cover collection, testing, storage, and distribution. Despite these challenges, the service has adopted new technology, such as the Alinity high-tech machine, in partnership with private entities. This automated system significantly enhances the speed and accuracy of screening blood for infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B, improving overall blood safety and processing capacity.