Lesotho

 

U.S.  Office

1025 Thomas Jefferson Street,, NW,

Suite 525East

Washington, DC 20007

Phone:  (202) 333-5304

E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

African Headquarters

Johannesburg, South Africa

E-mail: ingrid @ safeblood4africa.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Safe Blood for Africa Foundation™ initiated contact with the Lesotho Blood Transfusion Service (LBTS) during 2003.  A visit was made during 2006 which was funded by the CDC multi country fund and SBFA was then able to make recommendations and provide limited technical assistance according to the guidelines and recommendations of the WHO for developing countries.  The SBFA operational structure, based on the Blood Safety Value Chain (BSVC) is a framework designed to ensure that the various components critical to making up a sustainable National Blood Service as advocated by the WHO are in place.  SBFA conducted a number of training activities in Lesotho between 2007 and 2011 as well as providing funding for the initial appointment of a donor recruitment officer.  The LBTS was also assisted by SBFA in identifying suitable plans for the construction of a blood centre to be funded by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) which is now operational.

 

Our Mission

The SBFA has assisted Lesotho in the development of the National Blood Transfusion Service with a focus on scaling up of blood safety activities such as blood collection, testing and distribution and provided Technical Assistance services related to the following key technical areas:

  • Situational assessment and planning
  • Blood collection and Donor Management
  • Blood testing and Laboratory practice
  • Quality systems training including (M & E)
  • Training across the Bold Safety Value Chain
  • Appropriate Clinical Use of Blood

 

These activities were carried out regularly between 2007 and 2011 after which funding was no longer available.

 

Our Achievements:

During the period 2006 - 2011, SBFA:

  • Conducted a situational assessment of the LBTS
  • Identified areas of deficiency
  • Funded the appointment of a specialist donor recruiter
  • Provided input on the planning and design of a new blood centre
  • Conducted training activities on the following topics
  • Blood donor recruitment including establishment of Club 25 activities
  • Blood donor management
  • Blood donor counselling
  • Basic quality systems training
  • Quality systems implementation training
  • Blood grouping and crossmatching in the hospital blood bank
  • Facilitated a supply of cellular blood grouping reagents
  • Trained several Lesotho clinicians in the Appropriate Clinical Use of Blood
 

Projects