First Lady Hajia Turai urges synergy between International Red Cross Society and Nigeria
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Jul 8, 2008, 17:53

The wife of the President and First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua on July 7 at Hokkaido Red Cross Blood Center in Sapporo, Japan, called for a synergy between International Red Cross Society and Nigeria.

Hajiya Turai stated that the partnership, which would be channeled through the Nigerian Red Cross Society, would help to establish small blood screening units in Nigeria, especially the rural areas, where blood is hardly screened before being transfused.

The wife of the President who is also the Mother- General of the Nigerian Red Cross Society expressed appreciation on the level of advancement in the centre noting that the establishment of screening centres would reduce cases of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, which are prevalent in Nigeria.

In his comment, Professor Hidehiko Tamashiro of the Department of Global Health and Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, said many Nigerian doctors have been visiting Hokkaido University to learn blood screening system, blood transfusion and prevention of HIV/AIDS through the study of blood collecting system. This he noted will make the proposed blood screening centres in Nigeria more feasible.

Dr. Hisami Ikeda who is the Director-General of the Center disclosed that apart from the rigours of screening blood from donors, the centre also produces blood products from plasma and platelets donated by people, which has saved many lives.
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