STORY: AMISOM holds blood donation drive to

mark World Blood Donor Day

DURATION: 4:07
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 14/JUNE/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST

1. Wide shot, venue of the AMISOM blood donation exercise

2. Mid shot, AMISOM soldiers and civilians taking part in the blood donation
exercise
3. Mid shot, AMISOM soldiers and civilians taking part in the blood donation
exercise
4. Close up shot, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the
African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, listening
during the blood donation event
5. Wide shot, DSRCC, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Force Commander in charge of
Operations and Plans, Gen. Nakibus Lakara, and Sector 1 Commander, Brig.
Michael Kabango and other senior officials listening during the blood
donation event
6. Mid shot, DSRCC, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Force Commander in charge of
Operations and Plans, Gen Nakibus Lakara, listening during the blood
donation event
7. Mid shot, AMISOM military officers listening during the blood donation event
8. Mid shot, AMISOM military officer donating blood
9. Close up shot, a medical officer inserting the needle in the arm of a military
officer
10. Mid shot, clenched fist
11. Mid shot, AMISOM military officer donating blood
12. Wide shot, AMISOM officers waiting in line to donate blood
13. Mid shot, AMISOM military officer donating blood
14. Close up shot, AMISOM military officer donating blood
15. Close up shot, hand of a soldier squeezing a device while donating blood
16. Close up shot, blood bag full of fresh blood
17. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) SIMON MULONGO, DEPUTY SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION
COMMISSION (DSRCC) FOR SOMALIA
 “We are here to commemorate World Blood Donor Day, which occurs every
year on this day. We are here to not only thank those who donate blood but
to explain the usefulness of blood.”

18. Mid shot, DSRCC, Simon Mulongo, flanked by Deputy Force Commander in
charge of Operations and Plans, Gen Nakibus Lakara, listening during the
blood donation event
19. Mid shot, AMISOM military officers listening during the blood donation event
20. Mid shot, DSRCC, Simon Mulongo, flanked by Deputy Force Commander in
charge of Operations and Plans, Gen. Nakibus Lakara, and Sector 1
Commander, Brig. Michael Kabango, applauding
21. Mid shot, AMISOM medical officer examining DSRCC Simon Mulongo’s blood
pressure
22. Close up shot, AMISOM medical officer examining DSRCC Simon Mulongo’s
blood pressure
23. Wide shot, AMISOM medical officer examining DSRCC Simon Mulongo’s
blood pressure
24. Mid shot, AMISOM medical officer examining DSRCC Simon Mulongo’s blood
pressure
25. Close up shot, AMISOM medical officer pricking the finger of DSRCC, Simon
Mulongo to take a blood sample
26. Mid shot, DSRCC, Simon Mulongo preparing to donate blood
27. Mid shot, AMISOM medical officer inserting the needle to take a blood
sample
28. Close up shot, AMISOM military officer pressing the blood bag
29. Mid shot, DSRCC, Simon Mulongo concludes the blood donation process
30. Close up shot, blood bag full of donated blood
31. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) SIMON MULONGO, DEPUTY SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION
COMMISSION (DSRCC) FOR SOMALIA
“We lose many people because of various occurrences in a mission like this,
and other occurrences in terms of women who give birth and those with
challenges in regeneration of blood, and by donating blood, we save a life
and that is extremely important.''

32. Wide shot, A medical officer takes blood sample of AMISOM Sector 1
Commander, Brig. Michael Kabango
33. Mid shot, AMISOM Sector 1 Commander, Brig. Michael Kabango, preparing
to donate blood
34. Close up shot, AMISOM medical officer inserting a needle to get the blood
35. Mid shot, AMISOM Sector 1 Commander, Brig. Michael Kabango, donating
blood
36. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) GEN. NAKIBUS LAKARA DEPUTY FORCE
COMMANDER IN CHARGE OF OPERATIONS AND PLANS
“This particular exercise is about making other sacrifices, that is, donating
blood to save lives. Today is about security in another aspect, mainly
supporting life other than war or fighting.”
 37. Wide shot, AMISOM medical officer taking blood pressure readings
38. Mid shot, AMISOM medical officer taking blood pressure readings
39. Wide shot, AMISOM officers waiting to donate blood
40. Close up shot, AMISOM officer waiting to donate blood
41. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) MAJOR FRANCINE NDASIYABA, BURUNDI NATIONAL
DEFENCE FORCE SOLDIER
“I am here to join other donors. I had to come because blood will save the
lives of mothers and kids, population of Somalia and AMISOM troops.”

42. Wide shot, AMISOM troops waiting to donate blood

43. Wide shot, AMISOM troops waiting to donate blood

AMISOM holds blood donation drive to mark World Blood Donor Day

Mogadishu, 15 June 2019 - Every second, someone in the world urgently needs
blood to save his or her life.

Globally, blood transfusion saves millions of lives; however, in a country like Somalia
where the need for safe blood is higher due to the effect of armed conflict and harsh
living conditions, access to the precious fluid is still a major challenge.

To help improve access to safe blood in Somalia, the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) troops, civilian staff and international partners gathered in Mogadishu to
donate blood for use at the AU Mission’s Level II Hospital, the Mission’s largest
medical facility in Somalia. The blood donation drive was part of a series of activities
to mark the World Blood Donor Day, which is celebrated annually on 14 June.

The campaign was led by the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the
African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, who urged healthy
individuals in the country to donate blood to help improve its availability in hospitals.

“We are here to commemorate World Blood Donor Day, which is held every year. We
are here to not only thank those who donate blood but to explain the usefulness of
blood. We lose many people because of various occurrences in a Mission like the one
we are in and by donating blood, we save lives and that is extremely important,” Mr.
Mulongo noted.

The blood bank at AMISOM Level II hospital serves both AU Mission personnel and
residents of Somalia.

AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen.
Nakibus Lakara, said AMISOM’s activities was not only restricted to military operations
but also humanitarian activities such as voluntary blood donation campaigns, which
are aimed at saving precious lives in Somalia.

“Today’s exercise is not about war or fighting. It’s about supporting and saving lives
by donating blood,” said Maj. Gen. Lakara noted.

Lt Col Dr. Lawrence Basaaliza, the Commanding Officer of AMISOM’s Level II Hospital,
said that initially the hospital was constructed to care exclusively for AMISOM officers,
especially soldiers. “However, we soon realised that medical facilities in Somalia were
down so we now take civilians for all forms of treatment.”

Lt. Col. Basaaliza added that most of the blood donated by AMISOM officers is used
on civilians and Somali armed forces injured in combat.

At AMISOM Level II Hospital, there is always a daily steady stream of local Somalis,
among them, mothers seeking urgent medical care for their children, and others
seeking surgical procedures that often need blood transfusion.

As AMISOM soldiers brave the brutal frontlines fighting Al-Shabaab militants, from
time to time, some of their colleagues remain behind in the Mission Hospital’s
detachments, lying down on metallic tables in the shade of green tents, a needle into
each one’s arm, donating blood to save hundreds of lives in Somalia.

Hussein Abdikadir, one of the many residents who received medical care at AMISOM
Level II Hospital was encouraged by service rendered at the medical facility and
become a regular donor.

“AMISOM officers donate blood often, but this hospital (AMISOM Level II) rarely
receives blood from the Somali civilian population. It is the reason why I decided to
start donating blood to help those in need, especially the patients undergoing
surgery.”

AMISOM Level II Hospital accepts voluntary blood donations every day of the week,
and also holds monthly blood donation campaigns on a rotational basis at its bases
across Somalia.

-Ends-