Haemovigilance resources available for everyone: A report from the International Haemovigilance Tools Collaborative Project.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Haemovigilance systems are intended to collect and analyse data, and report findings relating to transfusion complications, such as blood product safety, procedural incidents, and adverse reactions in donors and patients. A common problem among developing haemovigilance programs is the lack of resources and tools available to countries striving to establish or enhance their haemovigilance system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: World Health Organization, in collaboration with International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT), International Haemovigilance Network and other haemovigilance experts embarked on a Haemovigilance Tools Project to collect and provide materials and resources to assist with the stepwise implementation of haemovigilance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Resources are housed as a virtual compendium on the ISBT website under the Haemovigilance Working Party. These are managed by a subcommittee of the Working Party and are freely available and downloadable to all without requiring ISBT membership.

The contribution and potential of older blood donors in Asia Pacific regions.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the blood supply contribution of older donors in five Asia Pacific regions. BACKGROUND: Older people are often the largest blood user group. Thus, as the population ages blood supply needs increase. Minimum and maximum donation age criteria potentially constrain the size of the donor pool. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Haemoglobin values and demographic frequency analytics (sex, age and blood type) were analysed on blood donors aged 60 years or more, from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea over 12 months. RESULTS: Data on 434357 donations was analysed. ABO Rh(D) frequencies of older donors matched that of national frequencies. Older donors were a disproportionately smaller proportion of the total donor pool for each country. Indonesia was the only region with no maximum age limit. Median haemoglobin for older males ranged from 14.2 to 14.8 g/dl and for females 13.1 to 13.9 g/dl. The frequency of female donors was between 15% and 33% of older donors. Older donors had higher donation frequency and lower deferral rates. CONCLUSION: Older donors are loyal and regular donors but under-represented in all regions studied. They could help meet future blood supply needs, especially post-menopausal female donors. Studies including ferritin levels are needed to determine if upper age limits can be safely modified.

High Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Young Adults in Ternate, Eastern Indonesia.

The incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been declining thanks to the universal hepatitis B infant immunization program. Nevertheless, young adults born before the program implementation might have acquired HBV in early childhood or remain susceptible to infection. This study aimed to evaluate hepatitis B epidemiology in asymptomatic young adult population in Ternate, eastern Indonesia. Serum samples of 376 subjects (aged 17-25, mean 19.82 ± 1.69 years; male/female 138/238) were screened for HBV parameters serologically (HBV surface antigen [HBsAg]; its antibody [anti-HBs]; anti-core antigen [anti-HBc]), and molecularly (HBV DNA). HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, and HBV DNA prevalence were 15.7%, 36.2%, 24.2%, and 27.9%, respectively, with male predominance. Of all subjects, 13.0% were HBsAg negative with detectable HBV DNA (occult hepatitis B [OHB]), and 56.4% showed negativity for all seromarkers. This population showed high hepatitis B prevalence with substantial occurrence of OHB. However, a high percentage of the population were still susceptible and at risk of HBV infection. This study emphasizes the necessity to improve prevention strategies to screen and manage HBV carriers, including the adoption of catch-up or booster vaccination targeted to young adult populations. Investigations on the roles of host-virus interactions associated with OHB and its implications are warranted.

Donor issues in Indonesia: A developing country in South East Asia.

In most developing countries in South East Asia blood services have not been treated properly as an important service to support health program. Indonesia as a large archipelago country in South East Asia has specific obstacles in managing a blood service. To position the country blood service profile especially in term of donor issues, we compared our blood service with that in other South East Asia countries. Indonesia has 17 thousand islands with 220 million inhabitants. Blood services have been mostly run by the Indonesian Red Cross as a government assignment since 1950. Donor recruitment programs have been directed toward 100% of Voluntary Non Remunerated Blood Donor (VNRD), which now have reached 81.3%. Dissemination of information on VNRD, donor recruiter's training and VNRD appreciation programs are strategies to increase and maintain the VNRD. Limited female donors and insufficient blood supply during the fasting month and holidays constitute major challenges. Low hemoglobin level, low body weight and fear are reasons for low number of female donors. Poor management of blood stock during fasting month, long holidays and also poor networking of blood supply are reasons for insufficient blood supply during the year. Considering the great size of Indonesia with different ethnic groups and cultures, worsened by lack of infrastructure, decisive and effective strategies in donor recruitment and retention programs are needed.