Perception, Practice, Motivators and Barriers of Voluntary Blood Donation Among Health Science Students at Maflekumen University Institute Tiko, South West Region of Cameroon

Background: Human blood is a vital, irreplaceable component of life essential for sustaining critical physiological processes and enabling lifesaving procedures such as transfusions. Despite advances in research, no substitutes for human blood or its components exist thus placing humans as the only source of this vital component. The rate of voluntary blood donation in developing countries is relatively low, with most blood supplies coming from family replacement donors, and this practice has led to persistent shortages in meeting the growing demand for blood transfusion within these regions. Health science students and healthcare workers are strategically positioned to play a critical role in addressing this gap owing to their inherent health awareness, ethical responsibility and role modeling. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the perception, evaluate the practice of voluntary blood donation, and explore its motivators and barriers among health science students at Maflekumen University Institute Tiko.