The exercise, which forms part of MTN Ghana’s annual Valentine Season of Love campaign, was held simultaneously across 44 locations nationwide, including the MTN House, CalBank premises and other designated centres.

Speaking at the launch, MTN Ghana CEO, Stephen Blewett described the initiative as a life-saving intervention that had become a critical pillar of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts.

Since its inception in 2011, the Save a Life project has collected over 26,620 units of blood, distributed to major health facilities including the 37 Military Hospital, Ridge Hospital and regional blood banks across the country. Last year alone, 6,620 units were mobilised to support patients in need.

“This is not just a campaign; it is about saving lives. When someone urgently needs blood and it is unavailable, the consequences can be fatal. Maintaining a steady national blood supply is essential for emergency care, surgeries, maternal health and disaster response,” Mr. Blewett said.

He encouraged MTN staff, partners and the public to exceed the 7,000-unit target, proposing a stretch goal of 10,000 units this year. He also welcomed CalBank as a new partner, noting that collaboration would broaden the exercise’s reach and impact.

The Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Wiafe, described this year’s exercise as particularly significant as it marked the first time MTN had partnered another institution for the initiative.

“We know that when we work together, we can achieve more impact. Blood donation is a simple but powerful act of volunteerism that can save lives. Across the country, our teams and volunteers are mobilising to meet this target,” she said.

CEO of CalBank, Carl Asem, reaffirmed their commitment to the partnership, stating that blood donation represented a direct and meaningful way for the private sector to support national healthcare delivery. He pledged that CalBank’s management and staff across its network would actively participate and help grow the initiative year-on-year.

The CEO of the National Blood Service, Dr Shirley Phyllis Ohenewa Owusu-Ofori, commended MTN Ghana for sustaining the initiative for 15 years, describing it as a flagship corporate contribution to Ghana’s national blood supply system.

She revealed that Ghana currently records about 6.1 blood donors per 1,000 people, leaving nearly 40 percent of national blood demand unmet. According to global standards, at least one percent of a country’s population must donate regularly to meet basic blood needs.

Dr. Owusu-Ofori noted that voluntary, unpaid blood donation remained the safest and most sustainable model, urging Corporate Ghana to support similar initiatives to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.