Concern supported project provides life-saving blood service in Sierra Leone

Voluntary blood donation in the West African country is extremely low at less than 1% of the general population, (WHO recommend a minimum of 10%) which leads to serious blood shortages and loss of life. 85% of patients that require a blood transfusion do not have access to blood. 

Joseph David Koroma, a Sierra Leonean medical student, developed LifeBlood to increase public awareness and the number of voluntary blood donations, along with improving the efficiency of blood banks by digitising the systems used to track the availability of blood.

The Irish humanitarian organisation, Concern Worldwide, formed a partnership with Joseph’s tech start-up, AutoHealth in 2022 to pilot LifeBlood. It resulted in an 150% increase in donors and a total increase in the supply of blood products from 15% to 84% of what was needed for basic treatments.

“In just six months we saved over 4500 lives. That for me is the most important thing,” said Mr Koroma.

“We need to have the data that tells us what blood is available, which emergency blood donor is nearby, and what blood donation campaigns have achieved. Blood is very critical to everyone’s life, one-in-three individuals will need blood in their lifetime. Our major aim is to become data for public good.” 

The largest requirements for blood in Sierra Leone are patients with cancer, and blood diseases such as malaria; anemia (not having enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body's tissues); surgery, childbirth, trauma and road accidents. 

46% of maternal deaths in Sierra Leone are due to post-birth haemorrhage (bleeding). The country also has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, at 104.7 deaths per 1,000 live births with the leading causes of death being haemorrhages and malaria.

LifeBlood takes a multi-faceted approach, with different apps and platforms depending on the end user. The Community Mobile app allows the public to schedule donations, track donor status and receive notifications. The Blood Bank app is used by blood bank staff to input critical donor information and manage blood stocks. The Clinician app allows real-time access to blood availability, allowing healthcare professionals make medical decisions, request blood transfusions and manage patient needs.

 The Data Hub (M&E) app allows authorities to manage, monitor, and generate data on blood bank and community activity. The Campaign application allows individuals, and organizations to create and monitor their blood donation campaigns.

The platform has helped Sierra Leone to become one of the first countries in west Africa to have a digital blood management service. It launched to the public in March 2023 as part of the Sierra Leonean government’s National Safe Blood Service.

“LifeBlood is a home-grown solution to the crisis affecting blood supplies. The App was developed with users in mind and responds to the queries, needs and concerns of blood donors in Sierra Leone. Through the development and launch of the App the LifeBlood team have been able to raise public awareness and support for this vital component of health care”, said Sarah Cundy, Programme Director with Concern in Sierra Leone.

The issue of blood donation is very personal to Mr Koroma, as his life was saved as a newborn thanks to a blood transfusion. It drove him to use his medical training and self-taught coding and software development skills to save others in similar situations.

“There was no blood available for me, but someone came along and it was a match, he donated, and I was saved. My Mom said maybe this is why God did this, it’s always there with me, I’m in the world to solve the blood problem. It’s not an easy task but it’s one I have to do,” said Mr Koroma.

In April LifeBlood was a Top Three finalist out of over 500 entrants in the West Africa Start-up World Cup Regional Finals. It previously won the Orange Mobile Social Venture Prize Middle East and Africa, International Grand Prix in 2022.

There is potential to replicate and expand LifeBlood to other countries, and there has been strong interest from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya and Cameroon.  The model has been developed to be readily adapted for different countries, however without funding this cannot happen. 

Concern have been in Sierra Leone since 1996, working in the areas of health and nutrition, education and livelihoods. They started supporting the Sierra Leonean National Safe Blood Service in 2019.

For further information contact Eilis Staunton, Media Relations Officer, Concern Worldwide, at eilis.staunton@concern.net or +353 85 872 0720.