Why Jehovah Witnesses change dia rules on blood transfusions and donations?

Jehovah Witnesses, one of di religious association for di world don finally update dia policy on blood transfusions.

According to dia policy, Jehovah Witnesses bin no dey allow dia members to do blood transfusions or accept blood donations during any medical case.

Dem say di Bible ask dem to stay away from blood and God see blood as life, so dem dey obey and respect God.

For plenti years, members of di Jehovah Witnesses dey keep to dis policy and dem no dey accept blood donations during medical situations.

Howeva, for dia new update for March 2026, di govning body of Jehovah Witnesses clarify dia position on di use of a patient own blood for medical and surgical care situation.

Wit dis new change, Jehovah Witnesses now allow dia members to do transfusions using dia own blood for situation of surgeries and oda medical conditions.

Meanwhile, dem still no dey allow dia members to receive blood from odas.

Jehovah Witnesses na one of di Christian-based religious movement wey dey known for dia door-to-door evangelism.

Di church say dem get ova nine million members for ova 200 countries and territories.

So why Jehovah Witnesses change dia blood transfusion policy?

Why Jehovah Witnesses change dia rule on blood transfusion

Di stand of Jehovah Witness be say dia members no fit accept blood transfusions. But some oda pipo bin don also tok say dat kain policy no dey help dia members.

For example, for Nigeria, one situation happun wey take di life of one Jehovah Witness member.

For December 2025, Nigerians on social media dey divided over di decision of one popular food stuff seller Omolola Mensah aka Auntie Esther wey reject medically advised blood transfusion sake of her faith.

Tori be say she bin first seek for donation sake of breast cancer and Nigerians donate about 30 million naira for her treatment.

According to her, dem bin wan do chemotherapy for her, but she choose to chop food wey go boost her blood instead taking blood - sake of say she be member of Jehovah Witness.

She later kpai.

Gerrit Losch, part of di group leadership announce di move say "each Christian gatz decide for diasef how dia own blood go dey used for medical and surgical care".

For December 2025, one Edinburgh court rule say doctors go dey able to give blood transfusion to one teenage Jehovah Witness member if she need one becos of operation.

Di teenage girl bin tell medical pipo say she no agree to blood transfusion sake of her religious beliefs, but lawyers get order say dem go do di blood transfussion if di girl life dey at risk- and di court grant di order.

Leadership of di Jehovah Witness say dia decision to change dia blood transfusion policy na to allow dia Christian members choose for diasef how dem want make dia blood dey used.

According to one representative wey speak for di video wey dem make availbale for dia website, Jehovah Witness say di Bible dey silent on issues wey concern how dem go use a pesin own blood.

"Afta plenti prayers and consideration of di scriptures, di govning body don decide to clarify on position on di use of a patient own blood for medical and surgical care," representative of di Jehovah Witnesses govning body tok.

"Our clarification be dis, each Christian gatz decide for demsef how dem go use dia own blood for all medical and surgical care. Dis include weda to allow dia own blood to be removed, stored, and giving back to di owner."

Wetin dis one mean? Jehovah Witness explain further say dia members fit allow make dem collect, store and reuse dia own blood for dem wen dem need am for medical issues.

"Some Christians fit decide make dem store dia blood and give back to dem, odas fit reject am. All Christians gatz decide how dia own blood go dey used in situation of medical and surgical care."

For dia explanation as to why Jehovah Witness dey amend dia policy, dem say Christians no dey under di Mosaic law, but na di Apostolic law dem dey obey wey 'say make we stay away from blood.'

"Di Bible no comment on di use of a pesin own blood for medical and surgical care situation."

Why Jehovah Witnesses no dey do blood transfusion bifor?

Jehovah's Witnesses for dia website say dem dey seek best possible medical care for demsefs and dia families.

"Wen we get health problems, we go to doctors wey get skill in providing medical and surgical care witout blood. We appreciate advancements wey dem don make for di medical field.

"In fact, bloodless treatments wey dey developed to help Witness patients na somtin wey dem dey use now to benefit all for di community. For many kontris, any patient fit now choose to avoid blood transfusion risks, such as blood-borne diseases, immune-system reactions, and human errors," Jehovah's Witnesses tok.

Di Church say dem no dey practice faith healing.

According to Jehovah's Witnesses, not accepting blood transfusion na religious issue rather dan medical one.

"Both di Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28, 29) Also, God view blood as representing life. (Leviticus 17:14) So we avoid taking blood no be only in obedience to God but also out of respect for am as di Giver of life," di Church tok.