"Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviour towards Blood Donation for Maternal Healthcare Delivery in Niger State, Nigeria"

Haemorrhage drives maternal fatalities in Nigeria and Africa at large. This is worsened by the blood scarcity which makes such conditions difficult to manage. Blood must be donated since it cannot be produced under laboratory conditions. As such, the need to assess the willingness to donate blood among potential donors can never be overemphasised. This community-based survey assessed community residents' knowledge, attitude, and Behaviour on blood donation for women during childbirth. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design and 640 residents where sampled across the State. Data were collected using both quantitative and qualitative instruments and were analysed accordingly. The findings revealed high awareness on the need for blood donation but the overall knowledge was low. Knowledge was acquired mainly through informal networks of family and friends. This affected acquisition of correct and complete Knowledge on blood donation thereby giving room for misinformation arising from cultural beliefs. Furthermore, this affected the attitude as willingness to donate was also low among the respondents. Lastly, the behaviour towards blood donation was also poor. The findings reveal how awareness and knowledge differ, implying that awareness is a necessary but not sufficient measure of knowledge. The study makes recommendations on how to improve the situation in Jiger State.