In Focus
Using technologies to optimise blood donation in Sub-Saharan Africa
The case of HGOPED and 2RMH
Optimising blood donation in Sub-Saharan Africa requires addressing long-standing challenges such as limited traceability, weak donor follow-up, reliance on paper registers, and high dependence on replacement donors.
The Benkadi Blood project
The project was created to tackle these issues by introducing a digital information management system tailored to the realities of African blood services.
Benkadi Blood supports the full donation continuum, including donor registration, medical screening, biological testing, component preparation, stock management, and haemovigilance, through interfaces adapted for low-resource hospital settings. Designed to function despite intermittent connectivity, irregular power supply, and varying staff capacity, the system aims to improve data quality, standardise workflows, and strengthen decision-making in donor recruitment and retention.
Early Results
The first deployments took place at the Gynecological, Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital of Douala (HGOPED) in May 2025 and the Second Region Military Hospital (2RMH) in September 2025. Before implementation, both centres relied entirely on handwritten registers.
Digital transition
With Benkadi Blood, they are transitioning to digital donor management, enabling better identification of donors, improved documentation of donation history, and more reliable monitoring of donation intervals and deferrals. Digital dashboards also support planning of collections and earlier identification of shortages.
Implementation Outcomes
To date, 423 donors have been registered at HGOPED and 187 at 2RMH. Adoption rates remain strong, with technology usage at 75% at HGOPED and 90% at 2RMH, despite delays linked to administrative procedures and the post-electoral crisis.
A strong emphasis on change management, including competency-based training, continuous on-site coaching, and the designation of “user champions”, has played a key role in facilitating adoption.
The early experience from HGOPED and 2RMH demonstrates that context-appropriate digital tools such as Benkadi Blood can significantly enhance donor management. Importantly, the structured approach to developing staff ownership has proven essential for ensuring sustainability and building the foundations of safer, more efficient transfusion services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
