Supporting emergency blood donation in rural Ghana: Meet Honghui Shen

When emergencies happen, swift and safe blood transfusion is vital.

Road accidents and heavy bleeding around childbirth are common in countries such as Ghana

in West Africa. However, blood stocks are often chronically low.

Honghui Shen is a PhD student at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. Based at the University of Southampton, he is developing a digital health app that will be piloted in Ghana to boost donations.

He shares his hopes for his project and what advice opened new doors as he starts his fledgling career.

How did you become interested in research?

I’ve always been the kind of person who enjoys digging deeper - whether it’s understanding how things work or uncovering the stories behind them.

My research journey really started during my master’s degree at the University of Southampton. For my summer project, I worked with the supervisor who’s now guiding my PhD, and that’s when I was first introduced to the project I’m working on now. This is building digital health systems in Ghana to support emergency care.

That experience opened my eyes to how research can create real social impact and do meaningful good for communities that need it most but are often underserved.

What is the healthcare challenge that you are seeking to address?

The challenge we’re addressing is Ghana’s severe shortage of safe blood for emergencies. This is having serious consequences for maternal health and road-traffic injuries.

Current blood stocks are far below international recommendations, and maternal mortality rates remain alarmingly high.

Although voluntary, unpaid donation is the safest model. It makes up around 30% of Ghana’s supply. Most donations still come from family replacement or commercial sources. In an emergency, it often falls to patients or their families to make phone calls to track down donors. This is slow, chaotic, and can delay critical care.

At the same time, Ghana has relatively high mobile penetration, with over 80% of the population using mobile data. Yet this digital reach is largely untapped for blood donation.

Our project aims to modernise the system by creating a digital health platform that links hospitals to a reliable network of volunteer donors in real time.

What do you hope to achieve in your research at the BRC?

At the BRC, my hope is that our proposed digital solution will gain recognition and demonstrate its practical value.

I’d like to carry out some early pilots in Ghana to test its feasibility, and, through this, build partnerships with local institutions and health authorities. The ultimate aim is to see our work applied in practice - helping to reduce delays in emergency care and improving outcomes for patients.

Beyond the immediate impact in Ghana, I also see this as an opportunity to strengthen the BRC’s international presence. By showing how research from Southampton can be translated into real-world solutions in low-resource settings, we not only address urgent healthcare needs but also expand the BRC’s influence and reputation as a centre for impactful global health research.

How would you sum up your research in three words?

Digital, Connectivity, Impact

What’s it like to be an early career researcher in Southampton?

Being an early career researcher in Southampton has been a really positive experience.

There’s a strong support system in place. I feel very fortunate to have supervisors who are not only highly knowledgeable but also incredibly supportive.

The environment is full of opportunities, whether that’s access to cutting-edge research facilities, exposure to the latest ideas, or the chance to collaborate across disciplines.

What I particularly value is that you’re encouraged to grow, to take initiative, and to connect your work with wider impact. It’s a place where you don’t just do research in isolation - you’re part of a vibrant community that genuinely invests in developing the next generation of researchers.

What advice would you give to other early career researchers?

I’d say my main advice is that research isn’t just about sitting at a desk and working on your own.

It’s really about connecting with people - networking, sharing ideas, and putting your work out there so that it can reach those who might benefit from it.

To be honest, I’m naturally quite introverted, and for a long time I tended to stay in my comfort zone and avoid too much interaction. But my supervisors have always encouraged me to step out, to network, and to engage more actively.

That’s opened doors to new opportunities and helped me build valuable friendships along the way. So, even if it feels uncomfortable at first, making those connections is one of the most rewarding parts of being an early career researcher.

You can get in touch with Honghui via honghui.shen@soton.ac.uk if you would like to learn more about him or his research.