No More Death Due to Blood Shortage in Rural Areas

This year, the project (Initiative 3 Zero at CSRef in Yanfolila), aimed at reducing deaths due to blood shortages in rural areas, was implemented with a limited scope of activities due to funding constraints between June and November 2025 in the district of Yanfolila. Thanks to the support of our partners and the commitment of the community, we were able to continue our mission by ensuring a free and regular supply of blood products to patients. This phase demonstrated the effectiveness of our community-based model for blood collection, management, and distribution. It eliminated shortages, improved patient care, prevented communicable diseases, and strengthened community mobilization around blood donation.

1. Complete coverage of blood product needs

One of the main results of this phase is 100% coverage of blood product needs at the Yanfolila Reference Health Center.

• 1,023 donors mobilized and sampled (community campaigns, parental and voluntary donations).
• 872 healthy blood bags for 843 requested at the CSRéf during this period;
• Zero blood product shortages during this period;

Result: Every patient in need of a transfusion was able to receive one without delay, thus ensuring continuity and improving the quality of care.

2. Significant improvement in patient care

Rapid and reliable access to blood products transformed medical care in response to an emergency situation that endangered the lives of many patients.

• Coverage of the blood product needs of 584 patients;
• 206 children under the age of 5 suffering from severe anemia saved thanks to free transfusions.
• Coverage of blood product needs for 179 women in obstetric emergencies (anemia/pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhage, cesarean section, abortions, ectopic pregnancy, etc.) for a total of 289 blood transfusion requests;
• Zero deaths and zero referrals or evacuations due to blood shortages.

Result: The immediate availability of blood saved lives, reduced medical complications, and strengthened community confidence in the local health system.

3. Reduction and prevention of communicable diseases

The project is not limited to providing blood: it also contributes to protecting public health through systematic screening of donors.

• 1,023 donors were screened free of charge for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis.
• 139 positive cases were detected, including:

o   110 cases of hepatitis B

o   17 cases of hepatitis C

o   11 cases of syphilis

o   1 case of HIV

All positive donors were counseled and referred to specialized services for treatment.

• Result: In addition to providing safe blood, the project actively contributes to the surveillance and prevention of communicable diseases in the community.

4. Community awareness and mobilization

The success of the project depends on the active participation of the community during this phase:

• 24 radio programs were broadcast to promote blood donation.
• More than 150 pieces of content (videos, posters, messages) were shared on social media and local platforms.
• Regular information, education, and mobilization campaigns were organized in neighborhoods, villages, and public places.
• Two blood collection campaigns were organized, resulting in the collection of 62 blood bags.

Result: A better understanding of blood donation as a civic duty that saves lives and the continued mobilization of new volunteer donors.

5. Provision of medical supplies and support to the Yanfolila CSRéf.

To ensure continuity of supply, the RSPP provided the health center with essential supplies for blood collection, screening, and transfusion.

Supplies provided between June and November 2025:

• 1,150 blood bags
• 900 transfusion sets
• 5 grouping kits
• 9 boxes of 100 EDTA tubes
• 5 boxes of Determine HIV tests
• 31 boxes of syphilis tests (40 tests each)
• 34 boxes of hepatitis B tests (40 tests each)
• 31 boxes of hepatitis C tests (40 tests each)

Result: This intervention enabled patients to access safe blood products free of charge, thereby strengthening the center's

NB: It should be noted that we received support from the sectoral unit for the fight against HIV, which directly supplied the reference health center laboratories with Determine tests (HIV tests) for the systematic screening of blood donors.  

The implementation during this first quater costed 5 896 000 FCFA (11,792 USD) with 4 395 USD collected on GlobalGiving.

1. Sustainability and community ownership

Building on its community roots, the RSPP has set up a local commission dedicated to seeking funding for the reappropriation and sustainability of the achievements of the 3 Zero Initiative project. This commission brings together all stakeholders in the Yanfolila circle: administrative, health, judicial, traditional, and religious authorities, civil society, youth and women's associations. Since the launch of this second phase, it has been actively working to strengthen ownership of the project through awareness-raising activities and the mobilization of financial resources within the community, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project's achievements.

As of November 30, 2025, the committee had already collected 420,000 CFA francs (840 USD) from local figures and services to support the continuation of the project.

Result: The community is gradually taking ownership of the 3 Zero Initiative, ensuring sustainability beyond the current phase.

1. CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED

Despite these positive results, several challenges remain:

• Insufficient funding limits our ability to fully implement planned activities, including training volunteer blood donors on safe donation practices and volunteering, training frontline health workers on anemia management and referral/evacuation systems to prevent anemia-related complications, reduce transfusion needs, and decrease the burden of maternal and infant deaths related to delayed care, as well as expanding the project and strengthening logistical capacities.
• Limited storage capacity: blood products are currently stored in a single functional refrigerator, which poses a risk to product availability and quality.
• Lack of a digital blood management system: this makes it difficult to track blood-related actions at different levels, limits the ability to anticipate shortages, and complicates the real-time management of donor and patient information.

1. Conclusion and call to action

The 3 Zeros Initiative has already produced undeniable results in Yanfolila, helping to save hundreds of lives through improved access to blood products and better health services. However, continuing and expanding these gains requires increased support. Every contribution counts, and together we can work to ensure that no one in Yanfolila is at risk of losing their life due to a lack of sufficient blood supplies.

With your support, we can go further: expand the project to other rural areas, increase storage capacity, train more volunteer donors, and ensure that no more lives are lost due to blood shortages.

Every contribution counts. Let's take action together. Let's ensure that no one loses their life due to a lack of blood in Mali.

Links:

• https://rspp-ml.org/initiative-3-zero/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/r%C3%A9seau-sant%C3%A9-au-premier-plan-924801310/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_peop