
Vol. 18, No. 1	March 1997

SITUATION OF THE BLOOD BANKS IN THE REGION OF THE AMERICAS,

1994-1995

The basic function of the transfusion services is that to provide blood and its derivatives in sufficient quantity and with the adequate quality, when the health services thus require it. In recent years, the appearance of AIDS has increased the social pressure that requires absolute safety in the product that is transfused. This has produced new and greater charges in the logistics, management, and organization of the services of transfusion. There are different factors that to cause that the blood or its derivatives are safe products. From the existence of a law and/or regulation that regulates the production and use of blood; the existence in the services of good manufacturing practices, concept obtained of the companies productive of pharmaceutical products; up to the acquisition of altruistic volunteer donors and the training of the physicians in the use of the blood derivatives.

The selection of donors continues to be a key factor, hence the need for the serological screening of the same in order to rule out those that could be infected with those diseases transmitted through the transfusion.

Tables 1 and 2 show coverage of the serological screening; the percentage of donors whom serology test were permormed for HIV, hepatitis to viruses B and C, syphilis, and t. Cruzi, in several Latin America countries in 1994 and 1995. The prevalence of those diseases in donors is also included.

Table 1 Prevalence of Diseases in Donors Transmitted through Transfusion: Situation of the Blood Banks, per Country, Number of Donors and Percentage of positive Serological Tests, Countries with Available Information in the Region of the Americas, 1994

		HIV		HVB*		HVC		Sifilis		T. cruzi
Country	No. of donors	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)
Bolivia	19,987	80.0	0.02	67	1.06	...	...	67.0	2.41	71.0	20.24
Colombia	332,540	72.0	0.34	75	0.90	67	0.70	70.0	1.56	7.70	2.57
Ecuador	98,473	89.5	0.10	88	0.38	33	0.14	86.7	1.15	51.0	0.20
El Salvador	49,550	100.0	0.15	100	0.60	46	0.17	100.0	1.60	65.0	2.30
Honduras	31,275	100.0	0.64	84	0.98	30	0.06	100.0	0.50	85,0	1.41
Nicaragua	44,840	100.0	0.07	95	0.81	55	0.60	97.0	1.04	68.0	0.40
Panama	26,333	100.0	0.10	85	0.40	21	0.40	...	...	24.0	0.13
Paraguay	32,893	100.0	0.70	93	1.30	...	...	67.0	2.80	87.0	4.50
Peru	81,103***	60.0	0.22	60	0.76	43	0.63	60.0	1.02	0.0	...
Uruguay	110,309	100.0	0.08+	100	0.41	100	0.42	100.0	0.76	100.0	0.62
Venezuela	202,247	100.0	0.22	100	1.46	32	0.93	100.0	1.08	100.0	1.33
... No availabe data * Only antigen Prevalence by 100 donors + Confirmed among the positive ones of the screening ***** Estimate
Sources: Information given by: Dr. E. L. Segura, Argentina; Dr. Z. Z. Beltrán, Bolivia; Drs. M. García y M. M. Santacruz, Colombia; Dr. L. Valle Garbanzo, Costa Rica; Dr. G. E. de Hernández, El Salvador; Dr. E. Vinelli, Honduras; Dr. L.. R. C. Alvarez y Dr. J. R. Cerros, Nicaragua; Drs. R. Díaz y H. Espino, Panamá; Drs. L. Funk, M. L. de Pozzoli y M. O. de Zelada, Paraguay; Drs. A. A. Albrecht y C. Mosquera; Drs. F. Moron Ramos y L. Aguilar Cruces, Perú;Dr. L. Ucar, Uruguay; Dr. Mauricio Zalazar y Dr. M. E. de Mongue, Venezuela. Division of Disease Prevention and Control, Communicable Diseases Program, (HCP/HCT), AIDS/STD Program, (HCP/HCA), and Division of Health Systems and Services Development, Essential Drugs and Technology Program, (HSP/HSE).

Table 2 Prevalence of Diseases in Donors Transmitted through Transfusion: Situation of the Blood Banks, per Country, Number of Donors and Percentage of positive Serological Tests, Countries with Available Information in the Region of the Americas, 1995

		HIV		HVB*		HVC		Sifilis		T. cruzi
Country	No. of donors	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)	% of donors with serology	Prev. (**)
Argentina	811,850	85.0	0.20	84.0	1.00	70.0	0.80	88.0	0.80	96.0	4.90
Bolivia	22,146	64.0	0.03	60.0	1.50	...	...	64.0	1.33	66.0	13.70
Colombia	370,815	100.0	0.30	100.0	0.89	99.8	0.96	99.3	1.40	46.0	1.30
Costa Rica	45,311	100.0	0.10	100.0	0.40	100.0	0.30	100.0	0.30	13.0	0.80
Ecuador	100,774	100.0	0.18	99.0	0.47	42.6	0.10	100.0	0.90	75.4	0.10
El Salvador	52,365	100.0	0.15	100.0	0.60	74.0	0.18	100.0	1.30	99.0	2.30
Honduras	31,937	100.0	0.50	92.0	0.50	73.0	0.17	100.0	0.62	90.0	1.70
Nicaragua	48,030	99.0	0.11	96.0	0.37	51.0	0.57	96.0	1.71	51.0	0.50
Panama	37,107	83.0	0.12	100.0	0.50	65.0	0.35	...	...	2.4	1.00
Paraguay	34,216	100.0	0.05	93.0	1.40	14.8	0.30	81.0	3.50	83	5.80
Peru	82,656***	60.0	0.28	60.0	0.70	50.0	0.68	60.0	1.21	4.0	0.03
Uruguay	111,518	100.0	0.08+	100.	0.41	100.0	0.42	100.0	0.76	100.0	0.62
Venezuela	202,515	100.0	0.38	100.0	1.05	57.0	0.85	100.0	1.14	100.0	0.84
... No availabe data * Only antigen Prevalence by 100 donors + Confirmed among the positive ones of the screening ***** Estimate
Sources: Information given by: Dr. E. L. Segura, Argentina; Dr. Z. Z. Beltrán, Bolivia; Drs. M. García y M. M. Santacruz, Colombia; Dr. L. Valle Garbanzo, Costa Rica; Dr. G. E. de Hernández, El Salvador; Dr. E. Vinelli, Honduras; Dr. L.. R. C. Alvarez y Dr. J. R. Cerros, Nicaragua; Drs. R. Díaz y H. Espino, Panamá; Drs. L. Funk, M. L. de Pozzoli y M. O. de Zelada, Paraguay; Drs. A. A. Albrecht y C. Mosquera; Drs. F. Moron Ramos y L. Aguilar Cruces, Perú;Dr. L. Ucar, Uruguay; Dr. Mauricio Zalazar y Dr. M. E. de Mongue, Venezuela. Division of Disease Prevention and Control, Communicable Diseases Program, (HCP/HCT), AIDS/STD Program, (HCP/HCA), and Division of Health Systems and Services Development, Essential Drugs and Technology Program, (HSP/HSE).

Return to issue index

Index of Online Bulletins

	The Pan American Health Organization Promoting Health in the Americas