MTN Ghana Foundation Moves To Save Lives
As the world marks Valentine’s Day, MTN Ghana Foundation took another giant step by gracing the occasion with its annual blood donation campaign at the forecourt of the MTN House in Accra.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Rhoderlyn Entsua-Mensah, Manager In Charge of Sustainability and Social Impact at the MTN Ghana Foundation, explained that the annual blood donation exercise is the Foundation’s desire to help mitigate the high number of cases of maternal mortality since the loss of blood is one of the major causes of maternal deaths in the nation.
Stressing that, the annual Valentine’s Day blood donation exercise is this year targeted at collecting 4,000 units of blood to stock various blood banks across the country.
Mrs Enstua-Mensah said there was a break in the exercise in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, she disclosed that more than 20,000 units of blood have been collected since the initiative’s commencement in 2011.
She said the MTN Ghana Foundation would continue to organise the exercise every year to collect blood and drive the campaign on voluntary blood donation.
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Stressing that, the initiative has saved accident victims, pregnant women, and children, among others.
According to her, per the World Health Organisation standard, if about 320, 000 people voluntarily (one per of the population) donated blood twice in a year, there would be enough blood at the National Blood Bank.
She said about 150,000 people voluntarily donated blood to help stock the National Blood Bank, representing less than half of the population.
This year’s blood donation drives, which took place concurrently in all 16 regions on Tuesday, 14 February 2023, lasted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The ‘Save A Life’ project has earned the MTN Foundation some recognition: including ‘Highest Corporate Blood Donor’ in 2013; the ‘Second-Highest Corporate Donor’ in 2014; and ‘One of the Highest Corporate Donors’ in 2015.
