Ensuring Blood Transfusion Safety In Africa

51st SESSION OF THE WHO REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA

ENSURING BLOOD TRANSFUSION SAFETY IN AFRICA

27 AUGUST 2001 - 1 SEPTEMBER 2001

Brazzaville -- Blood transfusion safety poses a real challenge to the African continent in the 21st century, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

What are the facts?

Transfusion therapy is a form of treatment based on the use of human blood and blood products. Although this therapy helps to save human lives, blood can nonetheless be a dreadful vector of some infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

According to WHO: 25% of the units of blood transfused in Africa today are not tested for HIV; 5% to 10% of cases of HIV infection in Africa are transmitted via blood; less than 50% of the units of blood for transfusion are actually tested for hepatitis B; 19% of the countries in the Region test blood units for hepatitis C.

Other problems related to blood transfusion in the Region are: the inadequate supply of reagents in Africa; non-standardization of practices resulting in the exposure of patients to fatal complications, and of health personnel to avoidable risks of contamination; irregular power supply and a lack of equipment or effective maintenance programmes which adversely affect the storage of blood reagents and blood products, and dim career prospects for staff of blood transfusion centres resulting in high staff turnovers.

To address these and related problems, the African Regional Office of WHO (AFRO) has developed a strategy which provides a framework and proposes concrete plans of action that will help countries in the Region to establish sustainable and reliable transfusion services. The strategy is one of the agenda items to be discussed at the 51st session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa scheduled for 27 August to 1 September 2001 in Brazzaville, Congo.

Its aim is ?to improve blood transfusion safety and bridge the gap between blood needs and blood availability in health services.?

Priority interventions proposed in the strategy include: the conduct of a situation analysis of blood transfusion safety in countries; the drawing up or implementation of blood transfusion policies; the assessment of staffing needs and the judicious selection of personnel to be trained, and the pursuance of a policy of educating, sensitizing and retaining low-risk donors.

Others are: ensuring that safety standards are met in the screening of blood for transfusion-transmissible infections; the conduct of blood transfusion research; training for blood transfusion subscribers and care providers, and WHO participation in the training of staff of blood transfusion centres in quality management techniques and procedures.

The document says that the successful implementation of the strategy will depend, among other things, on the formulation and implementation of policies and plans of action by Member States based on an objective analysis of the situation in countries and the mobilization of adequate financial and material resources.

For further information, please contact Samuel T. Ajibola
Public Information and Communication Unit
WHO Regional Office for Africa
Harare, Zimbabwe.
Tel: (263-4 )703580; 706951; 707493; 705043 Fax: 700742
In Brazzaville: + 242 8 158 999
E-mail: ajibolas@whoafr.org