The purpose of the project is to develop a sustainable Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) and ensure that it is able to provide adequate supplies of safe blood and blood products to meet the needs of all patients in all hospitals in Malawi. The MBTS will work with all Central, District and relevant hospitals in the public and private sector, College of Medicine, clinical laboratories and their staff, clinicians and related projects and the Blood Donor Associations of Malawi (BDAM), in order to provide a safe and adequate blood supply to all those in need.

World Blood Donor Day is a worldwide annual celebration established by a collaboration of key global organisations, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRCRCS), to honour and thank those people who donate their blood on a voluntary, unpaid basis to give the most precious gift of all – the Gift of Life. World Blood Donor Day is held every year on the 14th June. The focus of World Blood Donor Day is on the youth . It is hoped that the new generation of youth will follow the example previous generations, providing the safest blood possible for use whenever and wherever it is needed to save lives.

The availability of safe blood for all patients who require transfusion depends on the extraordinary generosity of those individuals who donate it. On World Blood Donor Day, we salute and congratulate them all.

Every second, someone in the world needs blood. Millions of people owe their lives to people they will never meet – people who donate their blood freely and without any reward except the feeling of personal satisfaction about helping to save someone's life. Many die every day because they do not have access to safe blood when they need it. The blood shortage has a particular impact on women mainly due to complications of pregnancy, children with severe life-threatening anaemia caused by malaria and malnutrition and trauma victims. A significant number of deaths could be avoided if every hospital had access to a safe and adequate supply of this lifesaving resource. This can only be achieved through a significant increase in the number of people who are willing to donate blood regularly.

Key Facts

	Many patients who need transfusion do not have access to safe blood: Of the estimated 81 million units of blood donated annually worldwide, only 39% are collected in the developing world where 82% of the world's population live. Despite efforts to redress this imbalance, the number of blood donations has not risen significantly in developing countries. The number of donations per 1,000 populations is about 16 to 20 times greater in high-income countries than in low-income countries.
	A shortage of safe blood has a severe impact on maternal and child health: Many transfusions are given to women with complications during pregnancy, children with severe life-threatening anaemia and trauma victims. It is estimated that globally 43% of children under the age of 5 are anaemic and 18% of health problems relate to pregnancy. Poor access to safe blood therefore particularly affects women and children.
	Too many countries still rely on family/replacement or paid donors: More than 58% of donations by blood donors in low-and middle-income countries are given by family/replacement or paid donors compared with less than 6% in high-income countries. This blood carries a higher risk of transmitting infectious agents, including HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis, than is blood donated from voluntary non-remunerated/unpaid donors.
	The Government of the Republic of Malawi established the Service with funding from the European Commission (European Union) for 6years with a budget of € 7.8 million.
	The overall objective of MBTS is to reduce the incidence of HIV/Aids and other diseases transmissible by blood and blood products and to ensure the appropriate clinical use of blood through the establishment of a centralised and sustainable blood transfusion service that will provide a safe and adequate blood supply through all health care facilities.