title: Priority needs and wisdom strategy for blood transfusion safety in developing low-resource countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the implementation of alternative safety measures that reduce the risk of transfusion transmissible infections as an affordable measure in low resource countries.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  It is still difficult in developing countries with limited resources to mandate nucleic acid testing due to its high cost. Although NAT reduces the window period of infection, the developing countries are still in need of an efficient and effective transfusion programme before implementing the complex high cost NAT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two thousand eight hundred eighty sero-negative first-time and repeat donations from Fayoum University Hospital blood bank were individually analysed by NAT for HIV, HBV and HCV. Only discriminatory-positive NAT were classified comparing the non-remunerated and family replacement donations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant discriminatory-positive differences were observed for HBV NAT results, 2 remunerated donations compared to 0 non-remunerated sero-negative donations. The discriminatory positive differences were also significant for HCV NAT results, 4 remunerated donations compared to 1 non-remunerated sero-negative donation. No sero-negative, discriminatory-positive NAT HIV case was found. Seven out of 8 discriminatory positive cases were from first time donations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to ensure blood safety, the recruitment and retention of voluntary, non-remunerated repeat donors should be a major commitment for low resource countries in which NAT implementation is costly and not feasible.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Egypt. Electronic address: abdelrazik50@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Abeer Mohamed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdelrazik
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ghada M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ezzat Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003906:Developing Countries; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000235:genetics; D012449:Safety; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids
keywords: Developing countries; Donations; Infectious disease testing; Nucleic acid testing