More than a thousand young Tanzanians had gathered to donate blood to save mothers and newborns. Altogether a remarkable event. A demonstration of selfless dedication and commitment by young people willing to give their blood to save Tanzania’s mothers and babies.
It was a beautiful day in Arusha, Tanzania. Music played. Traditional dancers excited a crowd. A young schoolgirl sang a song she had composed, celebrating mothers. The regional commissioner Mr. Jowika Kasunga, was represented. All of Tanzania’s media were there.Why? Because more than a thousand young Tanzanians had gathered to donate blood to save mothers and newborns. Altogether a remarkable event. A demonstration of selfless dedication and commitment by young people willing to give their blood to save Tanzania’s mothers and babies.One that affirmed Tanzania’s commitment to the African Union’s objective: that “no woman should die giving life.”Giving blood gives lifeSevere bleeding during pregnancy, delivery or after childbirth is the most common cause of maternal mortality. It contributes to around 34% of maternal deaths and near misses in Africa.However, Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest quantity of blood donated for transfusion per person in the world.In Tanzania, there is an estimated deficit of two-thirds of the blood required. That is why the Tanzanian Evidence for Action (E4A) project, working with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NTBS), Arusha regional Hospital, and the Red Cross, mounted a major blood recruitment and donation campaign in Arusha City over 13-17 January, 2013.The campaign took place under the banner of Mama Ye! – a new campaign for maternal and newborn survival, to be launched on 18th February, 2013, in five countries: Tanzania, Malawi, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.Blood donation quadrupledOn average Tanzania’s NBTS usually attracts 250 blood donors at an event like this, and considers that a success. But last week, thanks to the team’s publicity and recruitment efforts, four times as many - 1040 - donors turned up to voluntarily donate blood.It was to me a moving and inspiring sight: long queues of young people (mainly young men) giving blood to save Tanzania’s mothers and babies, supported by dedicated, careful and caring professionals. They played a vital part in ensuring that blood was collected efficiently and rigorously: registrars, phlebotamists, nurses, clinicians, carers, counsellors, drivers, managers, recruiters and bleeders.Officiating at the event Mr Jowika Kasungo, the Regional Commissioner for Arusha Region, said that in regard to maternal mortality, many Tanzanians“feel helpless and hopeless…Many of us believe that such a fate is ‘natural’ ‘unavoidable’.Even God’s will.Today I challenge that fatalism…..we may feel that there is nothing we can do to change this tragic situation. But that is not true. We do have the commitment, the power and the potential to save lives – as the blood donors of Arusha have shown today. …Because our expectations are so low, politicians do too little to improve maternal and newborn survival. Tanzanians ask for too little. Women and their families have come to expect too little. Because of these attitudes, women and babies still die when in fact they could survive.All Tanzanians – both men and women, young and old, of all backgrounds - have to take responsibility to ensure our mothers and newborns survive. We can no longer leave it just to the government, to the African Union, the United Nations, to donors, or even to our health professionals.”The regional commissioner emphasised that:“Without the active participation of the Tanzanian public as a whole, politicians and professionals cannot save our mothers and babies.”This blood donation drive is just the start of sustained efforts to increase blood supplies in Tanzania. Above all, it is central to a campaign – Mama Ye! – that calls for the active engagement of the African public in the AU’s mission: that no mother should die giving life.