Rwanda has been selected to host the International Conference of the African Society for Blood Transfusion for the second time in 2028. The country previously hosted the event in 2016 through the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, specifically its Blood Transfusion Division (BTD).
The announcement was made during the 12th AfSBT Conference taking place in Windhoek from March 21 to March 26, 2026. The conference brings together more than 1,000 experts, leaders, and professionals working in blood transfusion medicine from across Africa and other parts of the world every two years.
Dr. Muyombo Thomas, Head of the Blood Transfusion Division at RBC, said Rwanda’s selection to host the conference again reflects the country’s continued progress in blood transfusion services and quality standards.
He noted that hosting the conference for the second time demonstrates Rwanda’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality blood services and ensuring that blood reaches every patient in need across the country in the shortest possible time.
The AfSBT conference is organized in partnership with the host country and other health sector partners. It serves as a platform to showcase advancements in blood safety and innovative technologies used in blood delivery. Rwanda, for instance, uses drone technology for blood delivery in partnership with the U.S.-based company Zipline.
Rwanda’s Blood Transfusion Division operates five regional branches across the provinces and the City of Kigali that collect blood donations, while testing and processing are conducted in Kigali before distribution to hospitals nationwide.
According to the RBC/BTD 2025 report, more than 80 hospitals in Rwanda received blood supplies, benefiting over 120,000 patients with a delivery rate of 99.72%. Rwanda has also maintained Level 3 Blood Safety Accreditation from AfSBT since 2016.
Health officials say blood transfusions in Rwanda are most commonly needed by children under five suffering from malaria and other diseases, mothers experiencing severe bleeding during childbirth, victims of road accidents, and patients with serious chronic illnesses such as cancer.
Previous hosts of the AfSBT conference include Uganda in 2024 and Namibia in 2026, while Rwanda last hosted the event in 2016.
