How a digital app provides life-saving blood service in Sierra Leone

Voluntary blood donation in the country is extremely low at less than 1% of the general population, which leads to serious blood shortages and loss of life. Of patients who require a blood transfusion to recover, 85% do not have access to blood. Those who need the most blood in Sierra Leone are patients with cancer and blood diseases such as malaria and anaemia; along with those who have experienced surgery, childbirth, trauma and road accidents. 

Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world, with 46% of maternal deaths in Sierra Leone caused by post-birth haemorrhage. The country also has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, at 104.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. The leading causes of infant death are haemorrhages and malaria. Having safe blood that is grouped by type can save thousands of lives.

Joseph David Koroma, a Sierra Leonean medical student, developed the digital platform LifeBlood to increase public awareness and the number of voluntary blood donations, along with improving the efficiency of blood banks by digitising the systems used to track the availability of blood.

Concern partnered with Mr. Koroma in 2022. The partnership resulted in an 150% increase in donors and a total increase in the supply of blood products from 15% to 84% of what was needed for basic treatments.

“In just six months we saved over 4,500 lives. That for me is the most important thing,” said Mr Koroma.

“We need to have the data that tells us what blood is available, which emergency blood donor is nearby, and what blood donation campaigns have achieved. Blood is very critical to everyone’s life, one-in-three individuals will need blood in their lifetime. Our major aim is to become data for public good.” 

LifeBlood takes a multi-faceted approach, with different apps and platforms depending on the end user: 

• The Community Mobile app allows the public to schedule donations, track donor status and receive notifications.
• The Blood Bank app is used by blood bank staff to input critical donor information and manage blood stocks.
• The Clinician app allows real-time access to blood availability, allowing healthcare professionals make medical decisions, request blood transfusions and manage patient needs.
• The Data Hub (M&E) app allows authorities to manage, monitor, and generate data on blood bank and community activity.
• The Campaign app allows individuals, and organizations to create and monitor their blood donation campaigns.

The platform has helped Sierra Leone to become one of the first countries in west Africa to have a digital blood management service. It launched to the public in March 2024 as part of the Sierra Leonean government’s National Safe Blood Service.

“LifeBlood is a home-grown solution to the crisis affecting blood supplies. The app was developed with users in mind and responds to the queries, needs and concerns of blood donors in Sierra Leone. Through the development and launch of the app, the LifeBlood team have been able to raise public awareness and support for this vital component of health care”, said Sarah Cundy, Programme Director with Concern in Sierra Leone.

The issue of blood donation is very personal to Mr Koroma, as his life was saved as a newborn thanks to a blood transfusion. It drove him to use his medical training and self-taught coding and software development skills to save others in similar situations.

“There was no blood available for me, but someone came along and it was a match, he donated, and I was saved. My mom said maybe this is why God did this, it’s always there with me, I’m in the world to solve the blood problem. It’s not an easy task but it’s one I have to do,” said Mr Koroma.

In April, LifeBlood was a Top Three finalist out of over 500 entrants in the West Africa Start-up World Cup Regional Finals. It previously won the Orange Mobile Social Venture Prize Middle East and Africa, International Grand Prix in 2022.

There is potential to replicate and expand LifeBlood to other countries, and there has been strong interest from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya and Cameroon.  The model has been developed to be readily adapted for different countries, however without funding this cannot happen. 

Concern is supporting the healthcare system in Sierra Leone through the Saving Lives in Sierra Leone 3 programme, which aims to reduce preventable diseases and death amongst women, adolescent girls and children. 

Saving Lives 3 is a five-year project funded by the UK government and led by Concern. It is being delivered by a consortium of six NGOs (Concern, Helen Keller International, Humanity Inclusion, Kings Global Health Partnerships, Send Sierra Leone and WelBodi Partnership) across six districts in the country. At the district hospital level, Concern is supporting blood banks so more people have access to safe blood that can save their lives.