In Kenya, 25 per cent of women who die from Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) do so due to the unavailability of life saving blood. Despite PPH being the leading cause of maternal mortality, access to safe blood remains a challenge.
According to the Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority (KTTA), Kenya needs 500,000 to 510,000 units of blood annually but only collects 300,000 units, 70 per cent of which are used by mothers during childbirth.
Speaking at the launch of the ‘Run for Her’ campaign to end postpartum hemorrhage Professor Julius Ogeng’o, a medical professor at the University of Nairobi and co-lead of the project, unveiled an initiative designed to bypass systemic barriers to blood storage and transportation.
The initiative, dubbed the ‘Roaming blood bank’ works by gathering a pool of donors who are pre-registered and can be mobilized immediately during emergencies to donate blood to the nearest hospital for a woman in need, eliminating the need for storage.
“Kenya is a blood desert. The blood we have is not enough, it can’t reach far, and even when it does, there is no way to store it,” He said. “The concept of the roaming blood bank is like a walking blood bank. The donors keep their blood and only give it when it is required. It is delivered to the people who need it in real time.”
The pilot for the roaming blood bank will be at Pumwani hospital, one of the largest maternity hospitals in Kenya. This pilot is expected to show proof of concept before upscaling. Pumwani serves a large informal population which often faces neglect and blood is often inaccessible.
“To test it, we have organized a pilot project in Pumwani, because that’s where the biggest maternity hospital is and if you are looking for maternal deaths, that’s where you are most likely to find them.” Said Professor Ogeng’o.
The project is set to run concurrently with the ‘Run for Her’ end PPH campaign, an annual run to raise awareness and rally action against Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH).This years’ run is set for the 28th of September 2025 and will take place in several African countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Nigeria with pending confirmation of participation from Mali, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.
Speaking at the same launch Prof Moses Obimbo, an obstetrician-gynecologist and anatomy expert and the project lead expressed the importance of investing in mothers.
“We are running with a purpose and that is to save a life, this is more than just a run it’s a movement.”
During the run, there will be a blood donation program, further demonstrating the ‘roaming blood bank’s’ role in plugging in the gaps on blood collection which have mostly been affected by funding cuts.
“In this particular initiative, we are initiating the roaming blood donation program where people know their blood group, and have your data in a database and whenever we need blood urgently you receive a text message, you receive a call to come and donate blood, that will reduce storage costs, logistical costs and also make sure that blood is available for the mothers who need it at that particular time.” professor Obimbo explained.
The roaming blood bank hopes to reach the rural communities who have been disproportionately affected by limited blood supply, by expanding their access to safe blood.
Last year’s “Run for Her” campaign collected 400 units of blood, potentially saving the same number of mothers. Organizers hope this year’s run, linked to the pilot project, will raise even more.
“Every drop counts, and every newborn deserves a mother. We are not just saving mothers, we are saving children as well,” Prof. Ogeng’o emphasized.
