Globally, 5 million people die from trauma each year, with approximately 1/3 of these deaths occurring within 48 hours due to blood loss.
50% of blood donations are still not voluntary in 58 countries 50 of whom are in LMICs.
Sub-Saharan Africa: 35 out of 48 countries collect less than half of the blood needed to meet the transfusion demand.
Who is Part of CoBA
With a collaborative and inclusive approach, CoBA brings together diverse stakeholders. We work towards enhancing blood systems in Africa to realize the highest standards of quality and safety.
Development Partners & NGOs
Government Ministries
Private
Sector
Global Health Institutions
Major Issues
Malaria
95% of all malaria cases and 96% of deaths arise from Sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria is known to cause anaemia as a major side effect and patients severely affected, especially children die due to lack of blood.
Malnutrition
1 in 3 African children under the age of 5 are malnourished and predisposed to iron deficiency anaemia. Lack of blood in severe cases of iron deficiency leads to mortality.
Sickle Cell Disease
More than 80 million people affected worldwide by sickle cell disease live in Africa. Representing 66% of the global disease burden. Approximately 1000 children are born with the disease every day in Africa, making it the most prevalent genetically acquired disease in the region.
Neglected Tropical Diseases
40% of individuals affected with neglected tropical diseases(NTDs) reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. NTDs claim numerous lives, particularly due to fatal anaemia resulting from. delayed access to blood.
Maternal mortality in Sub‐Saharan Africa is approximately 500 to 1000 per 100 000 births versus approximately 5‐20 in developed countries.
Of 196,000 women each year in Sub-Saharan Africa who die from pregnancy related complications, 1 in 3 die from bleeding.
Timely access to blood is vital in saving lives for road accident patients, as delays in care can worsen injuries and minutes of blood loss can make the difference between life and death.
In Kenya more than 5,000 people die every year from road accidents due to lack of blood.
Close to 250,000 people die each year on African roads, representing 1/5 of the world’s road deaths. Most of these patients require blood and die due to lack of it.
There are 847,000 new cancer cases in Africa and 591,000 deaths annually . Patients with cancer often require transfusions before accessing treatment in cases of anaemia. If blood levels are low, they cannot undergo cancer treatment and lack of blood in this case causes early mortality.
