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

This year, the No More Deaths Due to Blood Shortages in Rural Areas project was implemented with a limited scope of activities due to funding constraints between June and August 2025 in the Yanfolila district. Thanks to the support of our partners and the commitment of the community, we were able to continue our mission: saving lives by ensuring regular, free, and safe access to blood products. In just three months, 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. Full coverage of blood product needs

One of the major results of this phase is that 100% coverage of blood product needs has been achieved at the Yanfolila Reference Health Center (CSRéf).

• 456 donors mobilized and sampled (community campaigns, parental and voluntary donations).
• 390 healthy blood bags available for 365 bags requested by the CSRéf medical team
• Zero blood product shortages recorded during this period.

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

2. Significant improvement in patient care

Rapid and reliable access to blood products has transformed the medical response to life-threatening emergencies:

• Overall, 255 patients were saved thanks to the availability of blood products.
• 85 children under the age of 5 suffering severe anemia were saved thanks to free transfusions.
• 82 women in obstetric emergencies (pregnancy-related anemia, postpartum hemorrhage, cesarean section, abortion, ectopic pregnancy, etc.) were saved thanks to free transfusions.
• There were zero deaths and zero evacuations due to blood shortages.

Result: The immediate availability of blood products saved lives, reduced medical complications, and strengthened communities' 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.

• 456 donors screened free of charge for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis.
• 58 positive cases detected, including:

o   46 cases of HBsAg (hepatitis B)

o   6 cases of syphilis

o   5 cases of hepatitis C

o   1 case of HIV

• All positive donors were counseled and referred to specialized facilities 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:

• 12 radio programs were broadcast to promote blood donation.
• More than 85 pieces of content (videos, posters, messages) were shared on social media and local platforms.
• Regular information, education, and mobilization campaigns organized in neighborhoods, villages, and public places.
• Four blood collection campaigns were organized, resulting in the collection of 187 blood bags.

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

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

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

Supplies provided between June and August 2025:

• 5 packs of collection bags
• 20 packs of transfusion sets
• 4 Rhesus typing kits
• 4 boxes of 100 EDTA tubes
• 5 boxes of HIV Determine tests
• 12 boxes of syphilis tests (40 tests each)
• 12 boxes of hepatitis B tests (40 tests each)
• 12 boxes of hepatitis C tests (40 tests each)

Result: Improved quality of transfusion services and free, continuous access to safe blood for all patients.

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 3 315 000 FCFA (6,027 USD) with 3,768 USD collected on GlobalGiving.

6. Sustainability and community ownership

To ensure the sustainability of the achievements, a local resource mobilization committee was created. It brings together all the key stakeholders in the Yanfolila district: administrative, health, traditional, and religious authorities, civil society, and women's and youth associations.

• As of August 31, 2025, the committee had already raised 405,000 CFA francs ($ 736 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 its sustainability beyond the current phase

7. Challenges encountered

Despite these positive results, several challenges remain:

• Insufficient funding limited our ability to fully implement planned activities — including

training volunteer blood donors on safe donation practices and voluntarism, training frontline health workers on anemia management and Mali’s referral system to prevent severe anemia and reduce transfusion needs, as well as expanding project activities and strengthening logistical capacity.

• Limited storage capacity remains a significant challenge, with only one functional refrigerator

available, increasing the risk of blood shortages in the event of equipment failure.

• Absence of a digital blood management system makes it difficult to efficiently track blood

stock levels, anticipate shortages, and manage donor and patient information in real time.

7. Conclusion & Call to Action

In just three months, the project has saved dozens of lives in Yanfolila, eliminated blood shortages, improved the quality of care, and strengthened the resilience of the local health system.

However, the road to universal and sustainable access to safe blood remains long. 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 a lack of blood.

Every contribution counts. Together, let's make sure that no one loses their life due to a lack of blood in Mali.

• First_Quater_Report.pdf (PDF)