title: Strengthening Health Systems Through International Blood Product Sharing Agreements.
abstract: Blood products are critical to the success of both routine healthcare delivery and emergency response efforts. Ensuring the safety and availability of blood products presents nations with considerable collection, screening, and distribution challenges that are often exacerbated by public health crises, particularly mass-casualty events involving traumatic injuries. However, recent outbreaks of Ebola and Zika virus disease have also illustrated the importance of securing blood product supplies during ongoing infectious disease emergencies. The United States and other nations should consider enhancing existing mechanisms for sharing medical countermeasures by creating formal agreements for sharing blood products during public health emergencies.
authors.forename: Sanjana J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ravi
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D014943:Global Health; D006078:Government Programs; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods
keywords: Countermeasures; Epidemic management/response; International coordination; Medical management/response; Policy