Improving blood donation and transfusion in Kenya
Pathways for innovation in Blood Transfusión Systems in Kenya (PITS Kenya)
Testing ways to collect, test, and deliver more safe donated blood for patients across Kenya.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Strathmore University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nairobi, Kenya) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176798 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at every step from people who give blood to how blood reaches hospitals, with a goal of making more safe blood available. Teams from Strathmore University and partner organizations will map current practices, talk with donors, patients, and health workers, and collect data across urban and rural sites. They will try new approaches like better donor recruitment, improved testing and storage, and faster delivery systems to see which changes work in real clinics. When successful changes are found, the team plans to expand them to other blood banks and hospitals in Kenya.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants include blood donors, people who may need transfusions (such as pregnant women with hemorrhage, children with severe anemia, and people with sickle cell disease), and health workers at Kenyan blood banks and hospitals.
Not a fit: People who live outside Kenya or who do not rely on blood transfusions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could increase the supply of safe blood and reduce deaths from bleeding and severe anemia in Kenya.
How similar studies have performed: Other programs have improved donation rates and blood safety in some countries, but broad, system-wide implementation efforts like this across Kenya are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Nairobi, Kenya
- Strathmore University — Nairobi, Kenya (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kivuli, Tecla Chelagat — Strathmore University
- Study coordinator: Kivuli, Tecla Chelagat
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.