During the month of March 2013t he Northern California Community Blood Bank hosted a team of medical professionals from the Uyo University Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state Nigeria for four days of training in Blood Donor recruitment and blood component processing March fourth through the seventh.

The team, which was led by Professor Etim Essien, included donor recruiter Ekaete Udo, Laboratory Scientist Ekerete Unang and Dr. Mabel Ekanem.

Knowledge gained during this training period will be used in Uyo to refine processes in the laboratory as well as to aid the transition to a system of all volunteer blood donation. Currently in Nigeria most blood donations are made by family members and “proxy” donors who are often paid by family members for their donation. An all volunteer system allows for maintenance of an inventory that can be available before there is a need as well as providing a significantly safer blood supply.

Following their training here, they traveled to Blood Source in Sacramento and then to the America's Blood Centers Annual Meeting in Pentagon City, Virginia.  

Follow these links for more information on the Safe Blood Africa Project, Rotary International and the blood centers involved.

TheSafe Blood Africa Program

Rotary International

Northern California Community
Blood Bank

BloodSource