Blood Safety in the Developing World and WHO Initiatives

A safe blood supply is a critical component in improving health care and in preventing the spread of infectious diseases globally. Millions of lives are saved each year through blood transfusions. Safe blood transfusion is an extremely cost-effective measure in developed countries such as the USA where 2% of the health care budget which is spent on Blood Transfusion Services benefits 50% of the health services. Yet the quality and safety of blood transfusion therapy is of continuing concern particularly in developing countries where 80% of the worlds population lives. This concern is related to the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) due to unsafe transfusions. This results from blood collected from unsafe donors the lack of quality systems in blood transfusion services poor laboratory procedures in blood group serology and inadequate testing of donated blood for TTIs errors in the administration of blood and a lack of access and appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products for patients requiring transfusion. (excerpt)