Blood donors in Kenya: a comparison of voluntary and family replacement donors based on a population-based survey.
OBJECTIVE
Blood safety and sufficiency are major challenges in Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries forcing many countries to rely on family replacement donors (FRD). We analysed data from a national AIDS indicator survey to describe blood donors in Kenya and potential risks of transfusion transmissible infections (TTI) comparing voluntary donors and FRD.


METHODS
A population-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2007 among 15- to 64-year-olds. Consenting participants were interviewed about blood donation history and were tested for HIV, HSV-2 and syphilis.


RESULTS
Of the 17,940 people surveyed, 445 (2·3%) reported donating blood in the prior 12 months. Sixty-four per cent were voluntary donors, and the rest were FRD. Compared to FRD, the majority of voluntary donors were <25 years old (59% versus 18%), from the highest wealth quintile (57% versus 42%) and single (64% versus 23%). In addition, voluntary donors were less likely to have been sexually active than replacement donors (43% versus 13%). HIV prevalence was lower among voluntary donors than among FRD (2·6% versus 7·4%, P-value=0·07).


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of blood donors in Kenya are voluntary with lower potential risk of TTI.
Kimani
D
D
Global AIDS Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nairobi, Kenya. dkimani@ke.cdc.gov
Mwangi
J
J
Mwangi
M
M
Bunnell
R
R
Kellogg
T A
TA
Oluoch
T
T
Gichangi
A
A
Kaiser
R
R
Mugo
N
N
Odongo
T
T
Oduor
M
M
Marum
L
L
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission