Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
ZIMBABWE’s blood donors are proving to be the heartbeat of the nation’s healthcare system, stepping up in large numbers to keep blood supplies flowing to ensure no life is lost due to shortages.
This announcement was made at a media briefing ahead of World Blood Donor Day, set for June 14.
Due to the continued commitment from blood donors, the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has already collected 73% of its 2025 target of 97 500 units, a significant milestone halfway through the year.
This strong response comes at a critical time, as the country gears up to celebrate World Blood Donor Day in June, under the global theme: “Give Blood, Give Hope. Together, We Save Lives.”
Speaking ahead of the commemorations, NBSZ Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lucy Marowa commended Zimbabweans for their dedication to blood donation, particularly during periods of high demand.
“So far just for the first half of this year, we have achieved about 73% of the targets. So we are well on track, all systems are working well. As we go to Kadoma we are hoping to collect 600 units on that day and this will be drawn from both school-going and adult donors on the day we are hoping that we will have 400 units from the school-going and 200 from the adult donor community.
“We did a mid-panel where we are hoping that this will inspire both the school going to the donors and the adults from that community to become regular blood donors so we are quite optimistic that we can achieve this target having been able to do similar work in previous years. I know also the question that a lot of you would want to ask me, what is the current status of the blood bank? Today we are sitting on three days’ stock of blood and blood products because we are coming from the weekend we are not in a crisis at all.
“We should encourage one another to donate blood. We are still calling upon men and women to come in and continue to give blood because it comes in and it goes out on a daily basis so I would like to thank you the media for the work that you do in disseminating the stories of national blood service and bringing awareness and also highlighting even where we have not done well in a positive well way because it helps us to improve so when we are not clear on what we are doing please help us and ask us the questions and we are happy to give the feedback,” she said.
As part of the commemorations, NBSZ is organising awareness campaigns, road shows, and a city procession in Harare this Wednesday, from Africa Unity Square to the NBSZ headquarters.
The events aim to highlight the life-saving impact of regular blood donation and encourage more people to participate.
Notably, through a government subsidy, blood is provided free of charge in all public hospitals, and blood donors can also access blood for free when they need it.
