Augustina Isioma Ikusemoro: Is Blood Really Affordable?
Augustina Isioma Ikusemoro, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Specialist at Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“In many LMICs, families must pay out of pocket for blood transfusions – often at the worst moment of their lives.
Behind every ‘unit’ of blood lies:
- Testing
- Processing
- Cold storage
- Transport
- Skilled expertise
Safe blood saves lives — but it isn’t cheap to produce.
The real tragedy?
- People don’t die because blood doesn’t exist.
- They die because they can’t afford it.
No woman should bleed to death in childbirth.
No child should die of treatable anemia.
No trauma victim should be denied transfusion because of cost.
- Safe blood must be treated as a public health necessity — not a market commodity.
Universal Health Coverage is incomplete without universal access to safe blood.
The Way Forward
Countries that have transformed blood safety share common solutions:
- Strong centralized national blood services
- Government financing and policy commitment
- Universal access models (blood as a public good)
- Investment in infrastructure and workforce
- Robust donor recruitment systems
- Integration into national health insurance schemes
Safe blood systems do not emerge by chance — they are built through leadership, policy, and sustained investment.
- We must stop asking whether blood is expensive.
- We must start asking why patients are the ones paying the price.
Blood is not just a product.
It is a critical component of health system resilience.
And in emergencies, it is the difference between life and death.
If your country still relies heavily on out-of-pocket payments for blood transfusion, what reforms do you believe are most urgent?
Let’s move this conversation from awareness to policy to action.”
Stay updated with Hemostasis Today.
-
Jun 23, 2026, 18:27Advancing Gene Therapy Research for Glanzmann Thrombasthenia – Glanzmann’s Research Foundation
-
Jun 23, 2026, 18:17What Every ITP Patient Wants to Know – ITP Support Association
-
Jun 23, 2026, 18:13Ahsan Fareed: Exploring Heart Failure Readmissions in Iron Deficiency Anemia
-
Jun 23, 2026, 18:09Swarnava Roy: Key Findings on Stress Erythropoiesis and Mitochondrial Retention in RBCs
-
Jun 23, 2026, 17:40Hossam El Benawi: How do We Predict Recurrence Post LVT Resoultion?
-
Jun 23, 2026, 17:39Nicolas Gendron: Do We Really Need All These Hemostasis Tests in Patients on DOACs?
-
Jun 23, 2026, 17:33Maité Mulkers: Time is Brain, and One Reason is That a Thrombus Develops Over Time
-
Jun 23, 2026, 17:32Dhargam Aljebouri: Honoured to Be Part of the Young Professionals Breakfast at ISBT 2026
-
Jun 23, 2026, 17:27Dianne E. van der Wal: Phenotype and Activation of the Endothelium in ET at ISTH 2026