Iron deficiency in whole blood donors in a resource‐poor setting: A cross‐sectional study in Uganda

A cross-sectional study conducted at the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency among blood donors. The study enrolled 500 whole blood donors from December 2021 to February 2022, evaluating demographic characteristics, donation history, nutritional history, complete blood count, and serum ferritin. Results showed iron deficiency prevalence of 11.5% among donating individuals and 61.5% among low haemoglobin deferrals, with significantly higher prevalence among females (33.0%) compared to males (2.5%), particularly in young female donors under 24 years (35.4%). The study recommends evidence-based strategies including serum ferritin monitoring and iron supplementation to prevent and manage iron deficiency among blood donors.