Rwanda to host Africa blood transfusion conference in 2028 after 12-year gap

26, Mar-2026 Administrator

Rwanda will host a major continental conference on blood transfusion and related medical services in 2028, organizers said, marking the country’s return as host after more than a decade.

The event will be held in partnership with the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion (AfSBT), according to an announcement made during the organization’s 12th conference underway in Namibia from March 21–26, 2026.

Rwanda is represented at the meeting by Dr. Muyombo Thomas of the Rwanda National Center for Blood Transfusion (RCBT-Kigali), who told participants how the country uses drones to deliver blood to patients in need, particularly in remote areas.

The biennial conference brings together global experts in transfusion medicine, as well as professionals from blood centers across Africa and specialized healthcare providers.

The 2028 gathering will be the 13th edition of the conference. Rwanda last hosted the event in 2016.

Founded in 1997 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, AfSBT works to strengthen blood transfusion services and related systems across African countries.

Rwanda has made significant gains in blood donation and supply in recent years, supported by growing public awareness. In 2024, the country collected 84,383 units of blood, meeting 99.72% of hospital demand, according to official data.

Figures from the Rwanda Biomedical Center show that O-positive blood accounted for the largest share, with 40,291 units collected, or 47.75% of the total. Other blood types included 20,007 units of A-positive, 15,137 units of B-positive and 3,393 units of AB-positive.

Less common blood types included 3,431 units of O-negative, 1,124 units of A-negative, 831 units of B-negative and 169 units of AB-negative, the least collected at 0.2%.

A total of 58,688 donors contributed to the blood supply, including 16,366 women, or 27.89%, and 42,322 men, or 72.11%, the data showed.