WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- From 2004 to 2007, 14 countries supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) made rapid progress in the safety and adequacy of their blood supply; during the second phase, incremental progress continued, according to a report published in the Nov. 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
Jerry A. Holmberg, Ph.D., of the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from national blood transfusion services collected between 2008 and 2010 to report on progress made in 14 countries heavily affected by HIV.
The researchers found that two countries have established legislative framework to support a national blood policy, two countries are developing such policy, and one country is updating their policy. Eleven countries have increased their number of whole blood units collected as well as the proportion of collections from voluntary nonremunerated donors, while 12 countries have decreased the proportion of collected units that are reactive for HIV.
"Continued government commitment is critical for ensuring quality, safety, and adequacy of the blood supply and sustaining the national blood transfusion service after eventual transition from PEPFAR support," the authors write.
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