By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
AXA Mansard Insurance Plc has received the Community Hero Award from the Blood Transfusion Centre of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for its sustained efforts to promote voluntary blood donation and support access to life-saving blood for patients.
The recognition underscores the growing importance of private-sector involvement in addressing blood shortages within Nigeria’s healthcare system, where hospitals continue to depend significantly on voluntary donors to meet the needs of patients requiring transfusions, particularly in emergency and critical care situations.
The award followed a series of employee-led blood donation drives organised by AXA Mansard in collaboration with the LUTH Blood Transfusion Centre as part of the company’s corporate sustainability and community health initiatives.
Over the past two years, employees of the insurance company have donated more than 200 pints of blood, contributing to the treatment and care of patients in need of urgent transfusions. The initiative has attracted participation from employees across different areas of the organisation, reflecting the company’s efforts to embed volunteerism and social responsibility within its corporate culture.
AXA Mansard said the initiative forms part of its broader commitment to improving community wellbeing and building healthier and more resilient communities, while encouraging employees to actively contribute to causes with meaningful social impact.
Chief Marketing Officer, AXA Mansard Plc, Adebola Surakat, said the recognition reinforces the company’s commitment to its purpose of advancing human progress through initiatives that go beyond its core insurance operations.
“At AXA Mansard, our purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters. We believe protection should be inclusive and extend beyond insurance to improving the wellbeing and resilience of the communities we serve,” she said.
Surakat explained that the award was significant not only because of the company’s support for healthcare interventions, but also because of the commitment demonstrated by its employees through their participation in voluntary blood donation.
She said AXA Mansard would continue to promote employee volunteerism and support initiatives capable of delivering sustainable benefits to the communities in which it operates.
The Community Hero Award is presented to organisations that demonstrate outstanding commitment to promoting voluntary blood donation, raising awareness about the importance of blood donation and supporting efforts to ensure the availability of safe and sustainable blood supplies for healthcare delivery.
The recognition comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over the availability of adequate blood supplies in healthcare facilities across Nigeria. Healthcare professionals and stakeholders have repeatedly called for greater public awareness and stronger participation in voluntary blood donation as a means of improving the country’s blood supply system.
In Nigeria, the demand for blood remains substantial, particularly for patients undergoing surgery, women experiencing complications during childbirth, accident victims and those receiving treatment for medical conditions that require regular transfusions.
Health stakeholders have therefore continued to encourage individuals, organisations and the private sector to support voluntary blood donation programmes as part of efforts to strengthen emergency healthcare delivery and reduce preventable deaths associated with inadequate access to blood.
AXA Mansard’s initiative demonstrates how corporate employee engagement can complement public healthcare efforts by mobilising voluntary donors and supporting institutions responsible for blood collection and transfusion services.
The company’s continued collaboration with the LUTH Blood Transfusion Centre also highlights the potential for partnerships between private organisations and healthcare institutions to contribute to addressing critical healthcare needs.
By sustaining its employee-led donation programme, AXA Mansard is reinforcing its commitment to social responsibility while contributing to a cause with direct and measurable impact on patients and the wider healthcare system.
