NATIONAL 5 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Safe Blood

United Nations coins the slogan of safe blood for this yearís World Health Day as unsafe blood transfusion has resulted in the spread of infectious diseases like HIV

By A CORRESPONDENT

Patient at operating table : Transfusions safety ensured ?

Emphasizing the importance of safe blood supply, the World Health Organization observed this yearís World Health Day with the slogan "Safe Blood Starts With Me - Blood Saves Lives". In his message on the occasion of the World Health Day (April 7) United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan stressed for accessible safe blood supply for worldís people.

Although blood transfusion saves millions of lives, ensuring its safety is essential. Developing countries like Nepal continue to suffer from the deaths resulting from unsafe blood transfusion.

Health Minister Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has said that since blood may be needed for anyone, anytime, in accidents and in injuries, for sick people and pregnant women, it is utmost to take precautions to keep them safe.

According to the UN, each year about 13 million units of untested blood are transfused. "The women, children and poor people of the developing world are particularly susceptible to infections transmitted through transfusion. Although considerable progress has been made, much remains to be done to ensure global blood safety," states Annan in his message.

Of the 191 World Health Organization member States, only 43 per cent systematically screen donorsí blood for Hepatitis B and C and HIV, and 29 per cent have national policies and plans to ensure blood safety.

"On this World Health Day 2000, let us commit ourselves to the goal of making safe blood supplies available to every patient who needs them, wherever he or she may live. We should see this as one of the essential services to which every human being is entitled," states Annan.

By dedicating the first World Health Day of this new century to safe blood, World Health Organization and the UN have underlined the significance of safe blood transfusion practices especially in the developing countries. "Blood is perhaps the most precious life resource, a vital defense mechanism and the essential carrier of oxygen needed by the human body. Severe reduction of blood through an accident or illness can be life threatening, necessitating a blood transfusion," says Dr. Uton Muchtar Rafei, Regional Director at WHO South-East Asia Region, in his message on the occasion of World Health Day, 7 April 2000 .

According to WHO, problems of infections like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis and malaria induced by unsafe blood transfusion is growing globally. "Only by ensuring safe blood transfusion could these problems be reduced and the people protected," says Dr. Rafei.

Developing countries like Nepal needs to develop national health strategies for safe blood transfusion and to ensure their efficient implementation.

"An important strategy would be to replace all professional blood donors with regular, voluntary blood donors. At the same time, rigorous screening of all donated blood must be made mandatory. It is also important that blood transfusion is prescribed only when essential. Only rational use of available blood can ensure the supply of safe blood, " says Dr. Rafei.

Although blood saves lives of million, the lack of measures to ensure its safety has resulted in the spread of other deadly diseases. Thus, the governments of the developing world would do well by ensuring proper legal provisions for safe blood transfusion.