Socio-demographic and Haematological Profile of Voluntary Blood Donors in Abakaliki, Southeast Nigeria

Background: Donor characteristics could significantly impact the availability and quality of blood products. Objective: To examine the socio-demographic and haematological profile of voluntary blood donors in Abakaliki and their suitability for whole blood and component donation. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 103 prospective voluntary donors. Socio-demographic characteristics were obtained using a questionnaire. A blood count was performed with a haematology autoanalyser, while the Haemoglobin phenotype was done by Haemoglobin electrophoresis. Results: Males were in a slight majority of the voluntary blood donors (56; 54.4%), while females were 47 (45.6%). Most were undergraduates (89; 86.4%) within the age range of 18-25 years. Thirty-two per cent were repeat donors. The blood donors' mean haematocrit level and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) were 36.3±5.3% and 78.9±5.7fl, respectively, which may suggest latent iron deficiency anaemia. Platelet count was 162.1±62.8 x 10 9/L, which is not optimal for high-yield platelet donation, while 65% and 35% of the 103 blood donors had HbAA and HbAS haemoglobin phenotype, respectively. Conclusion: Most blood donors were males and students with minimal representation of other occupation groups. Their mean haematocrit and MCV were low, while platelet count was compatible with the WHO threshold for apheresis platelet donation, albeit undesirably low for optimal platelet yield. A significant proportion of donors is the haemoglobin AS phenotype. Strategic blood donor recruitment, nutritional counselling and supplementation may be employed to improve the availability and quality of blood and its components.