Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
MUTARE has emerged as a critical lifeline in Zimbabwe’s blood supply network, not only maintaining healthy stocks for its own hospitals, but also regularly supplementing supplies in Harare and Masvingo as national reserves come under pressure.
While the country is operating with just over three days’ blood cover, Mutare is maintaining approximately five days’ supply, making it one of the best-performing branches in the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) network.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Pledge 25 Club Annual General Meeting in Vumba, NBSZ chief executive officer, Ms Lucy Marowa, said Mutare continues to punch above its weight, thanks to a strong culture of voluntary blood donation.
“When we talk about blood stocks, we do not look at absolute numbers. What matters is how many days’ cover we have. Mutare has about five days’ supply going forward, and I am glad to say that it is one of our best-performing branches. You will be surprised that, small as it is, Mutare contributes very significantly to the national blood supply,” said Ms Marowa.
The province’s consistent performance has turned Mutare into an important support centre for other regions facing shortages.
“Sometimes we get blood from Mutare and transport it to Masvingo or Harare to beef up stocks there,” she said.
Ms Marowa said the ability of Mutare to maintain stronger reserves than the national average demonstrates the value of a committed donor base and continuous community participation in blood donation programmes.
Despite the encouraging position, she warned that blood stocks can change rapidly because hospitals consume blood daily for emergency cases, surgeries, accident victims, maternity services and patients requiring regular transfusions.
“Blood donation has to be continuous. We need people to keep donating so that we maintain these stocks and are able to respond whenever there is a need,” she said.
The NBSZ boss said maintaining healthy blood reserves requires constant recruitment and retention of donors rather than waiting for shortages to develop.
She identified blood group O as the most sought-after and fastest-depleting blood type in Zimbabwe due to its prevalence among the population.
“Blood group O is the fastest-moving blood. It does not mean the other blood groups are not necessary, but O is our biggest pain point because it moves fastest and depletes quickly,” said Ms Marowa.
According to NBSZ statistics, about 52 percent of Zimbabweans belong to blood group O, resulting in correspondingly high demand in hospitals.
“You walk into any hospital and more than half of the patients are likely to be blood group O. So more than half of the blood requirements will also be for group O,” she said.
To safeguard future supplies, NBSZ is intensifying efforts to attract younger donors and build a sustainable pipeline of voluntary blood contributors.
Ms Marowa said the organisation is increasingly using young donors as ambassadors to encourage their peers to join the lifesaving cause.
“We are using youths to speak to their peers and attract other young people. That is one of the key approaches we are taking,” she said.
Beyond peer-to-peer mobilisation, NBSZ is reviewing its outreach programmes, incentive structures and communication strategies to make blood donation more attractive to younger generations.
The organisation has already partnered with Redan Petroleum to reward blood donors with fuel coupons, an initiative that drew hundreds of participants during a recent donation campaign in Mutare.
“We need to look at what other activities we can introduce, what incentives we can offer, and what innovations we can bring in to attract more young people. We also need to look at how we can use digital platforms to reach young people,” said Ms Marowa.
She said the organisation can no longer rely exclusively on traditional donor recruitment methods centred on schools.
“We need to move beyond the traditional methods where we were mainly known for going into schools. We have to meet young people where they are, including on Instagram, Facebook and other social platforms,” she said.
