Save Lives, Beat the Shortage: How and Where to Donate Blood in Cameroon Right Now

The National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS), which oversees blood collection and supply in Cameroon, says the country urgently needs more voluntary donors. Right now, most of the blood collected comes from family members who are pressured to donate when their loved ones are sick or injured. Voluntary, unpaid donations make up only about 2% of all blood collected.

“Blood donation is the simplest way to save a life,” says a CNTS official. “But we still see a lot of fear, myths and indifference that stop people from coming forward.”

What the CNTS Does

The CNTS is responsible for managing Cameroon’s blood supply. Its main tasks include:

Encouraging regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donation.
Collecting, testing, storing and distributing blood products to hospitals.
Ensuring blood safety to prevent infections.
Training staff and regulating blood banks nationwide.

Even though the number of units collected each year has risen — from 91,047 in 2017 to 103,359 in 2020 — the shortfall is still huge. The center says the heavy reliance on family replacement donations is unreliable and unfair, and it wants to build a culture of regular voluntary donation instead.

How Blood Donation Works

Many people avoid donating because they think it’s painful, time-consuming or dangerous. But the process is simple and safe:

You show your national ID and fill out a short health questionnaire.
A nurse checks your health and confirms you are eligible.
You donate about 450 milliliters of blood. This takes only 8–10 minutes.
You rest for about 20 minutes and get a snack before leaving.

The whole visit usually takes less than an hour. You can go back to normal activities the next day.

Who Can Donate?

You can donate blood if:

You are 18–70 years old.
You weigh at least 50 kilograms.
You feel healthy and have eaten well on the day of donation.

Even people with tattoos or piercings can donate — as long as the procedure was done at least 4 months ago.

Why Donate?

Every donation can help save up to three lives. Blood is used every day in hospitals to treat accident victims, mothers with childbirth complications, children with severe malaria or anemia, and patients with cancer or other serious illnesses.

One regular donor told the Health Post: “Giving blood doesn’t cost me anything, but I know it can mean everything for someone else. That’s why I keep coming back.”

Myths vs Facts

There are still many wrong ideas about blood donation. Here are some facts:

All blood types are needed, not just rare ones.
Donating does not make you weak. Your body replaces the blood quickly.
If you were once ineligible, you might still qualify later. Always check.
Being sick recently doesn’t always mean you can’t donate. Talk to staff.

New Investments

In 2024, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) donated equipment worth over 242 million CFA francs to improve blood collection and storage in Cameroon. This included new refrigerators, freezers, donor chairs and other tools.

But the CNTS says equipment alone is not enough — it also needs people to step up and donate.

What You Can Do

If more Cameroonians donated just once or twice a year, the country’s blood shortage could disappear. You can donate at CNTS sites or at special blood drives organized in your city.

Here’s how to contact CNTS:

Hotline: +237 2 22 20 83 83
Email: support@cnts-nbts.cm
Website: www.cnts-ntbts.cm
Facebook: facebook.com/CNTS23

All you need is your national ID card, a good meal before coming, and the willingness to save a life.

Take Action

Cameroon’s blood shortage is a serious health risk — but it’s also one that we can solve together. With just an hour of your time, you can help save someone’s mother, brother, child or friend.

Be a hero today. Donate blood.

For more stories on health and wellness in Cameroon, follow the Cameroon Concord Health Post.