World Blood Donor Day prompts calls for more donors in Niger and Tunisia

On the eve of the 22nd World Blood Donor Day, Niger’s Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Colonel‑Major Garba Hakimi, urged citizens to adopt regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donation. He noted a 49 % rise in voluntary donors between 2023 and 2025, but said national blood needs were only met at about 65 % in 2025, leaving many patients awaiting safe transfusions. The minister pledged to strengthen collection strategies and called for blood donation to become a routine civic habit.

In Tunisia, the National Blood Transfusion Centre organized a street‑level donation campaign in Tunis and highlighted a persistent shortfall. The centre estimates the country needs roughly 40 000 additional donations each year; in 2025 it collected about 250 000 units while demand is estimated at 290‑300 000 units. Officials stressed the essential role of regular voluntary donors in ensuring safe blood supplies for surgeries, chronic disease treatment, accidents, and maternal‑newborn care.