Lilongwe — No Woman Should Die When Giving birth (NWSDGB) has said most maternal related deaths are cause due to lack of adequate blood supplies in most health facilities in the country.

NWSDGB Trust board member, Salom Tsoka told Malawi news agency (Mana) Saturday at gateway car park in Lilongwe during the two day maternal health fair.

He said most maternal deaths could be avoided if health facilities are supplied with adequate blood which could be easy used to save life.

Tsoka noted that most people have not developed the culture of donating blood on regular basis to health facilities or to Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS).

"MBTS collects 50 per cent of the required blood which is supplied to various health facilities in the country. We can do more on this one if most people are willing to donate blood on a free will unlike the tendency of being asked to do that on an emergence undertaking," Board Member revealed.

He believed that regular donations of blood would narrow the gap being facing in most health faculties and one way to do this is to encourage each other to develop the culture of donating blood.

Tsoka pointed out that the fair has helped to bring awareness to a lot of people who came to buy some merchants and at the same time have had access to maternal messages.

" Participants are been giving information about family planning importance of donating blood, checking sugar levels and blood pressure, sexual and reproductive health care. We view this as one of the key instrument to reach out to many people," he added.

An Area 18 A resident, Bernard Phiri said the Fair has brought some awareness to most people with Lilongwe and beyond.

"I want to buy some merchants but I came across MBTS and I have donate blood after being briefed on the importance of doing so," he said

Phiri said I wish the organizers could make such fairs as quarterly or monthly events so that people should get used to it.

"Am happy, I checked my blood pressure and sugar and the results have been encouraging to me. I have been provide with better information on how I should maintain them and I have been encourage to take more regular checkups at any health facility," a student at African Bible College (ABC) in Area 47, Miriam Gama lamented.

She said hailed the organizers for bring health issues component to the Flea Market Fair adding few people are keen to patronize the health facilities at their free time as they only go there when they are sick.

MBTS managed to collect 25 pints of blood from 10 am to 1pm on Saturday.