History of transfusion in Africa

In Africa, as elsewhere, the question of who gives blood is of great importance for at least two reasons. First, in order to secure an adequate supply of blood, it is crucial to know who gave and, even more importantly, why blood was given. Second, who donates blood is very relevant to the safety of blood transfusion because, quite simply, people in certain circumstances have higher risk of transmitting infections. Thus an overview of who gave blood in the history of transfusion in Africa is valuable in order to understand the historical and cultural origins of securing an adequate and safe blood supply (Schneider 2013).