Bleeding in Silence: The Chronic Blood Supply Crisis in Yaoundé, Cameroon and What It Costs Our Patients

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Nga Ndongo Essono Uriel Patrick, a medical student and researcher at University of Buea Cameroon. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

During my first clinical rotation at the Yaoundé Central Hospital in 2024, I witnessed something that has since shaped every conviction I hold about healthcare systems:a mother of three died not from an untreatable disease, but from a postpartum haemorrhage that could not be managed in time.The blood bank was empty. The family had been sent to find donors. By the time compatible blood arrived, she was in irreversible haemorrhagic shock. She was 31 years old.This was not an exceptional tragedy.It was Tuesday.

Yaoundé, Cameroon’s political capital and home to over 4.5 million inhabitants, operates several major referral hospitals—Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé General Hospital, and the Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital of Yaoundé(HGOPY)—all chronically undersupplied with blood. The National Blood Transfusion Centre(CNTS),established in 2003 and located in Yaoundé, was designed to coordinate a voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation system. Yet over two decades later,voluntary non-remunerated donation rates remain critically low, estimated at less than 10% of total donations nationally, with the overwhelming burden falling on family replacement donation—a reactive,unreliable, and ethically problematic system in which patients’ relatives are coerced into donating as a condition of care.

The consequences are measurable.In obstetric emergencies — which account for a substantial proportion of blood demand at HGOPY—delays in transfusion directly translate to preventable maternal mortality.Cameroon’s maternal mortality ratio remains among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, reported at approximately 596 per 100,000 live births. Anaemia in surgical and paediatric patients goes uncorrected.Sickle cell disease patients, of whom Cameroon has one of the highest burdens globally(estimated gene frequency of 20–30% in some regions), face recurrent crises with inadequate transfusion support.

Why does voluntary donation remain so low? During community outreach sessions I participated in through CAMSA-Buea,the barriers were consistent: fear of needles, myths about blood loss permanently weakening the body, religious objections, distrust of the healthcare system, and simply never having been asked. In Yaoundé’s densely populated quartiers populaires — Biyem-Assi, Melen, Nkoldongo — health literacy campaigns targeting blood donation are nearly absent. The CNTS conducts periodic mobile collection drives, but without sustained community engagement,these efforts reach a narrow demographic, largely urban educated young adults who already donate repeatedly rather than expanding the donor base.

The structural gap is equally stark. Yaoundé’s blood banking infrastructure struggles with cold chain reliability, irregular reagent supply for blood grouping and cross-matching, and insufficient trained personnel for donor counselling and adverse event management. These are not insurmountable problems—they are solvable with political will, sustained funding, and genuine community partnership.

Medical students are not bystanders in this crisis. We are the future architects of this system, and we are already on the ground. But awareness without action is insufficient. What Yaoundé needs is a comprehensive voluntary donor recruitment strategy anchored in schools, universities, faith communities,and workplaces — combined with honest public communication that demystifies donation and rebuilds trust.Every unit of blood voluntarily given is a life held open a little longer.That mother on Tuesday deserved better.So do the ones who will arrive next week.

About the author

Nga Ndongo Essono Uriel Patrick is a medical student and researcher at University of Buea Cameroon, and a dedicated member of the Cameroon Medical Students’ Association (CAMSA) and the Association of Future African Neurosurgeons (AFAN).With a specialized focus on pediatric neurology and health economics, they advocate for data-driven policy changes to address neurodevelopmental disparities in the Global South.Nga Ndongo Essono Uriel Patrick has contributed to several community-led initiatives aiming to de-stigmatize mental health and is committed to leveraging clinical research to influence international health agendas. Their work emphasizes the intersection of neurodiversity, universal health coverage, and the socio-economic empowerment of marginalized populations.