JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH in this piece writes on the need for blood safety crisis regulation and innovation in Nigeria.
During the public hearing on the Bill for the Establishment of a National Blood Service Commission, the sponsor of the proposed law, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, revealed that his daughter who was born with sickle cell disease was tragically transfused with blood infected with hepatitis, and now lives with complications of both sickle cell disease and viral hepatitis to this day.
Sadly, this story is reflective of the experiences of thousands of Nigerians transfused with blood which is infected with diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, mainly because the quality of blood services provided in health facilities across the country vary substantially and there is currently no legislative framework to regulate and safeguard the blood transfusion chain from blood collection, screening, storage, transportation and finally to transfusion. While many providers endeavour to provide high quality blood transfusion services, these gaps which currently exist in the legislative framework for blood services, are exploited by unscrupulous practitioners for whom safety and quality of the blood they provide are not a consideration.
It is instructive to note that Nigeria currently has the highest sickle cell disease burden in the world, with more than 150,000 infants born with the disease every year, up to 70 – 90% of whom will sadly and ultimately die before they attain the age of five years, and the country contributes nearly one quarter of global maternal deaths, with over 180 women dying every day from pregnancy or during delivery – and this is mostly from bleeding. Additionally, trauma from road traffic accidents, conflict and insurgency impose an urgent requirement to have a high quality, safe, available, and affordable national blood supply to save lives, thus emphasising the need for a National Blood Service Commission.
Accordingly, Nigeria’s National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), which currently exists as part of the Federal Ministry of Health, commenced operations in 2007 as a result of funding from the United States (US) President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC). With funding from the United States government, the NBTS headquarters and her 17 blood collection, screening and distribution centres were established nationwide across the six geopolitical zones and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. The goals of the NBTS were to actively change attitudes to encourage voluntary unpaid blood donations; identify individuals and populations at risk for HIV and other blood-borne infections, and to screen blood at higher standards and reduce the risks of infections from blood transfusion to increase the safety of Nigeria’s blood supply.
However, following the end of the partnership with the US government in 2015, the prevalence of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis which could be transmitted through blood transfusion has increased in Nigeria. Currently, more than 10 per cent of new HIV infections arise from unsafe blood transfusion, and more than 90 per cent of blood donors in Nigeria’s hospitals are paid to donate blood and these are very frightening statistics when one considers that paid blood donors present the highest risk of infections.
It is long overdue for Nigeria to depart from a blood service that is run as an internationally funded project, to one that is owned, enabled, and empowered with the necessary legislative backing to ensure the safety of the country’s blood supply. A robust national blood service requires political will, appropriate legislation, and adequate resources. With the Federal Executive Council (FEC’s) approval for the establishment of a National Blood Service Commission, political will by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has been established. Appropriate legislation in addition to the provisions in Part IV, Sections 47 to 57 of the National Health Act of 2014, will ensure increased funding for blood safety by the Nigerian government and provide opportunities for strong partnerships and collaborations that will see to the expansion of blood products made widely available and affordable to the people of Nigeria.
Source: https://leadership.ng/need-for-blood-safety-crisis-regulation-quality-innovation/
