Unsafe blood transfusion infects about four million people with HIV across the globe, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said. The Minister said this, yesterday, in Abuja at a briefing to mark 2013 World Blood Donor Day.
According to him, about 92 million units of blood are collected yearly, worldwide. He stressed that while national blood supplies are based on 100 per cent voluntary unpaid donations in about 62 countries, about 40 countries collect less than 25 per cent of their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid blood donors.
Approximately, half of these, he added, are collected in high-income countries which are home to only 15 of the world's population.
The minister, who was represented by Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, informed that Nigeria was determined to change the trend and ensure blood donated is safe for use.
His words: "This is a situation we are determined to change. For the same reason, the National Council on Health, at the last meeting held in July, 2012, approved the utilisation of the appropriate ELISA technology as the minimum standard for screening blood for transfusion purposes nationwide.
When fully implemented, this strategy will ensure the availability of adequate quantities of safe blood for transfusion."
He stated that the Nigerian Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) under his watch attained 52 per cent of its set target last year and was poised to achieving 100 per cent this year given the necessary encouragement and cooperation from stakeholders. While urging Nigerians to show greater interest in voluntary, unremunerated blood donation, the minister appealed to health workers and health institutions to embrace the decision by cooperating with the NBTS to achieve zero transmission rates of HIV and other blood borne infections through the adoption of safe blood transfusion practices.
National Mirror