Report of a workshop on ensuring sustainable access to safe blood in developing countries: International Blood Safety Forum, March 24, 2017

Abstract

On March 24, 2017, more than 90 experts in blood safety and international development from blood centers, industry, government, and international and nongovernmental organizations gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the Third International Blood Safety Forum, cosponsored by America's Blood Centers and Global Healing. This report summarizes presentations and major conclusions. The meeting explored ways to increase access to affordable, safe blood for low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) in an era when funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund has been redirected from preventing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to diagnosing and treating the 25 million-plus people living with HIV in LMICs. More effective management systems must be developed to improve cost recovery for blood. While blood systems become more sustainable, continued investment is required to keep them operating. The traditional model of large grants from bilateral and multilateral donors will need to be supplemented (or replaced) with public-private partnerships and nongovernmental investment. A continued emphasis on quality is fundamental. Blood systems must build quality programs, based on accepted standards, including hospitals, clinics, and rural health care providers to ensure proper and safe use of blood. Proposals to resolve health care inequities between LMICs and high-income countries (HICs) must include helping LMICs to define sustainable national policies and practices for blood availability and utilization to suit local contexts. The blood safety lexicon should be revised to include availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe blood and blood products as the goal of all blood safety initiatives.

How to manage transfusion systems in developing countries: The Experience of Eastern and Southern Mediterranean countries

“…Thus, professionals and authorities in the transfusion medicine field struggle to request and negotiate budgets that allow them to increase the number of donations and simultaneously strengthening the infectious and immunological safety levels. To achieve that some register in accreditation programs (Table ) that allow sustainable progresses; nevertheless, the improved quality management shows persisting gaps in safety measures …”

“…To achieve that some register in accreditation programs ( Table 2) that allow sustainable progresses; nevertheless, the improved quality management shows persisting gaps in safety measures. 7,13,14 Thanks to a number of initiatives (WHO, ISBT, AABB, EMITm…);…”

“…Some countries even collaborate with Western institutions for this purpose (eg, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco) . The progress made as well as the continuing gaps are evidenced in several reports, mainly the one from the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean …”

“…12 The progress made as well as the continuing gaps are evidenced in several reports, mainly the one from the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. 7,13,14 Having considered that all these standards are resource consuming at a time resource (and cooperation support from Northern/Western countries) are becoming scarce, 15 we endeavoured to collect information from Eastern/Southern countries of the Mediterranean area on how they handle and manage all aspects of the transfusion process from donor to recipient. The primary objective of this original work was to enlist success stories, but also fails when present, to ultimately share methods with others and preserve resources.…”

Availability and safety of blood transfusion in low‐ and middle‐income countries

“…The summaries of a recent forum and workshop address blood and transfusion safety challenges in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Each helps to define the current situation.…”