UNIBLOOD

UNIBLOOD MARKS 2025 WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY IN STYLE

The 2025 edition of World Blood Donor Day has been marked by Universal Blood Donors Development Centre (UNIBLOOD) in grand style this year.

June 14 is set aside every year by the United Nations Organisation to celebrate and appreciate Voluntary Blood Donors, worldwide.

With this year's event falling on Saturday, Universal Blood Donors Development Centre (UNIBLOOD) - foremost NGO devoted to the cause of the Rare Blood Group - took out time, yesterday, Friday, June 13, 2025 for some critical advocacy engagements:

VISIT TO THE HEAD OF SERVICE
Led by the President / Founder, His Royal Majesty, Charles Chukwunwike Anyasi III JP, members of UNIBLOOD paid a visit to the newly-appointed Delta State Head of Service, Dr. Mrs. Mini Oseji in her office in Asaba.

The UNIBLOOD boss began with felicitations on Dr.Oseji's well deserved appointment.

HRM Anyasi and the HoS then proceeded to pleasantly relive the decade-long fruitful collaboration that has existed between UNIBLOOD and the Oseji Foundation for Transparency and Accountability. Equally revisited was the glowing partnership between UNIBLOOD and Delta State Ministry of Health. It could be recalled that partnership with Delta State began in 2016 while Dr. Mrs. Mini Oseji was the Permanent Secretary at the State's Agency for Family Health Care.

Going down memory lane, the HoS declared: "I recall that I was at a sensitisation programme organised by UNIBLOOD at the Aniocha-North Local Government Secretariat on December 1, 2016 when I received the information of my transfer to the Ministry of Health and subsequently to Environmental... and now, here as HoS. All along, it has been a steady flow with UNIBLOOD, to the glory of God."

The Head of Service encouraged UNIBLOOD never to let down their guard, having left an indelible mark in the anals of health management in Delta State.

Speaking further, she reminded the team that it was at the Idumuje Kingdom Palace that the launch of the State-wide Blood hunt, under the then freshly delineation of Delta State into six geo-political zones began in 2018. From there, she noted, that exercise has yielded great dividend.

She pledged to sustain her assistance, through her new office in technical areas to enable UNIBLOOD keep the flowering.

VISIT TO THE MINISTRY OF HEATH
The next port of call was the Ministry of Health where the team was gladly received by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs. Philomena Okeowo and her staff.

The President / Founder - HRM Charles Anyasi III JP explained that the NGO decided on the advocacy engagement as part of activities marking this year's World Blood Donor Day and to appreciate the Ministry for their long-standing fruitful partnership.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary gladly acknowledged the outstanding impact of UNIBLOOD under the able leadership of the king.

As they brainstormed over the future of blood purity and availability, particularly in the interest of the Rhesus-challenged Group, the Permanent Secretary instructed the Director, Medical Laboratory - Biboyo-Brisibe - to ensure a regular interface with UNIBLOOD, recognising the need for the sustainability of their healthy relationship.

The UNIBLOOD boss,on behalf of the NGO, assured the Ministry of their unflinching support any time, any day and thanked her for the warm reception.

VISIT TO THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS
At the ministry of Women Affairs where UNIBLOOD touched down next, the directors were elated to receive them. Having heard out the team, most of the directors confessed that the interaction was a great eye-opener as new truths were revealed to them by UNIBLOOD on blood matters, particularly as they relate to women and children who battle with Hemolytic Diseases of the New-born (HDN). They pleaded for a repeat visitation to enable the Permanent Secretary and others who were unavoidably absent partake and make better decisions.

- Dr. Wealth Chukwuka
PRO