MTN Ghana marked this year’s Valentine’s Day with a nationwide blood donation drive to support the National Blood Service in restocking the country’s blood supply. The initiative, which took place on Friday, February 14, 2025, sought to collect approximately 6,100 units of blood.

The project is “Save a Life” and encourages people to celebrate love meaningfully by donating blood to help save lives. Initially launched as an MTN staff initiative, the exercise has since expanded to include business partners, agencies, and the general public.

In the Central Region, blood donation centres were set up at six key locations: Ankaful Nursing Training School, Academy of Christ the King Senior High School, Abakrampa Senior High School, Winneba Senior High School, the University of Education Winneba, and the University of Cape Coast.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), blood transfusions save millions of lives each year. However, Ghana continues to struggle with blood shortages, falling below the WHO’s recommended minimum of 10 units per 1,000 people required to meet basic transfusion needs.

Speaking at the event in Cape Coast, Regina Arkaifie, MTN’s Human Resource Manager for Southern Ghana, emphasised the importance of voluntary blood donation. “Beyond helping to restock the National Blood Bank and other regional blood banks, we want to promote a culture of voluntary blood donation across the country. Over the years, we have collected more than 29,000 units of blood,” she noted.

Last year, MTN Ghana’s blood donation drive resulted in over 5,000 units of blood being contributed to the National Blood Bank. This year, the company aims to surpass that figure, ensuring that hospitals have enough supply to meet patient needs.

She further highlighted that healthcare remains one of the MTN Foundation’s core focus areas, adding that the company frequently receives requests from health authorities for assistance in collecting blood. “Large-scale donation exercises like this have proven to be effective in addressing this critical issue,” she said.