Reforms in blood safety systems were initiated in Pakistan in 2008 from the platform of the national AIDS control programme with technical support funded by the German agency for international cooperation (GIZ), part of the GIZ health sector support programme, with financial cooperation funded by KfW, the German development bank.
The most important element in the reform was the establishment of a National Blood Transfusion Programme in 2010 when blood safety was taken out of the confines of the AIDS pogramme to ensure safe blood transfusions all over the country. Other measures of the reform process included the formulation of a national blood policy and strategic framework.
The overall objective of the project is to provide safe, efficacious and quality assured blood to the citizens of Pakistan. The programme has improved blood transfusion services in Pakistan by strengthening its organizational and physical structure in line with WHO blood safety recommendations. At the federal level, the Programme performs the role of a central coordinating body to oversee policy planning, provide strategic guidelines, set standards, monitor and evaluate programmes, liaise with development partners and report on international commitments and above all ensure smooth and seamless implementation of the project all over the country.
The technical cooperation component of the programme works to improve access to safe blood and blood products by providing advisory services concerning organization and governance of the system, including a management information system, voluntary non-remunerative blood donations, clinical use of blood, legal and regulatory framework, quality management and capacity development.
Since 2010 the national blood safety system reforms have included: the development of an SOP manual; national standards; clinical use of blood guidelines; national quality control guideline.
The Financial Cooperation component of the project has developed the new infrastructure which consists of constructing and equipping a network of regional blood centres, and renovating and refurbishing existing hospital blood banks. Development of 10 regional blood centres and up-grading 60 existing hospital-based blood banks in the first phase was completed in 2016.
WHO support
WHO provides support to the national and provincial blood transfusion programmes in Pakistan in the development of national policies, strategies and standards, and conducting capacity-building and training, in addition to:
- strengthening blood screening systems to prevent transmission of infections through blood transfusion;
- conducting national assessment of blood screening system in Pakistan;
- developing first national testing strategy for transfusion transmitted infections;
- conducting training on quality assurance in blood banking based on WHO training module;
- procuring blood screening kits worth US$ 8.4 million from USAID;
- conducting training workshops on national testing strategy for TTIs; implementation of national quality control guidelines; clinical use of blood and haemovigilance;
- strengthening blood transfusion regulation systems;
- participating in WHO regional blood transfusion activities.
Related links
Blood safety and availability factsheet