BY MWANAHABARI REPORTER
Kenyans have been asked to find out the blood group and the Rhesus factors of their spouses before they even settle down in marriage.
The urgent call was made by the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) head of partnership and County Support Mr Kiprono Chepkok.
According to Chepkok, KNBTS is grappling with stocking a special blood group known as the Blood Group O – (Negative).
This is a rare type of blood group, which is why KNBTS has a special bank for people with blood group O- (negative).
Those with the blood group are considered a rare group… as they are universal donors as anyone can receive blood from them.
This same group – however – can only receive blood from a person of a similar group.
This is why Chepkok is begging couples to find out their lover’s blood group if only it could help during emergencies.
According to KNBTS, if more people know their blood group, then this type of blood group will be constantly available in the bank whenever someone is in urgent need of it.
“I am pleading with Kenyans to develop the culture of donating blood. People should know that the more they donate blood, the more their bone marrow is activated,” he said.
“We have adequate reagents for screening blood. We are therefore liaising with counties to help in the mobilisation drive, to attain the target,” said Chepkok.
Blood Group O (negative) is geographically more common among people in the Central region with at least 40 percent of the people have either blood group 0- (negative) or 0 + (positive), that’s according to Chepkok.
Chepkok said: “When we test around 10 to 20 people, there might be only one, who is 0 – (negative).
“We have therefore identified people who have blood 0- (negative), whom we depend on, during an emergency,” said Chepkok.
He also asked Kenyans to test for sickle cell anaemia, especially those from the coastal and western parts of the country.
“I ask you to do this before marriage so as to prepare you for what is expected in the children,” he added.
Blood types
There are generally four blood groups, namely A, B, AB and O. These are divided into either Rhesus negative or Rhesus positive.
Toose with Rhesus positive can receive blood from Rhesus negative. However, Rhesus negative cannot receive blood from rhesus positive.
“This is because the body will form an antibody against it,” says Chepkok who also asked Kenyans to donate blood regularly.