AEGiS-14IAC: Safe blood for the safer living.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Safe blood for the safer living.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11746)

Alam MD
CCDB, Dhaka, Bangladesh

ISSUE: Up to 5% of HIV infections in developing world may still be due to transfusion of HIV contaminated Blood. HIV infection by blood transfusion is almost 100% effective in each case (WHO). Bangladesh needs 0.25 million blood bags/year but only 0.10-0.15 million bags can be collected. About 50%-60% of this blood is come from professional blood donors. It has been noticed that 4.5% donors are infected by HIV, Hepatitis B and other STDs, which is alarming.

DESCRIPTION: On 1st July 1999, the Advocacy program of CCDB lunched a campaign for safe blood transfusion with its partner organizations and still it is continuing. Advocacy Program and the Rotary International District -3280 Bangladesh, are jointly sponsoring the campaign while Bangladesh Red Crescent Society is extending all the technical support i.e. Blood collection, preservation, testing and distribution. The objectives of the campaign are, 1. To raise awareness among poor and general on of safe blood transfusion. 2. To increase voluntary blood donation and donor retention through education and information. 3. To raise awareness among young people on blood borne diseases/cross cutting issues, e.g. HIV/AIDS, Drug abuse etc. Lesson Learning: After the campaign on safe blood transfusion, general people realize the importance of safe blood usage at crisis. Trained volunteers are actively working to raise awareness among people and to mobilize communities on safe blood transfusion and also to organize blood donation program. People are now free from all type superstitions and come forward to get rid of this HIV 'curse' by using safe blood transfusion. RECOMMENDATION: To make the campaign more effective, all kinds of media effort and GO and NGOs need to be coordinated. Support of International Organizations by sharing their campaign strategies and experiences is also needed. The people need only the initiative and amenities and financing in this regard.

Keywords: AEGIS, Blood Transfusion, Blood Donors, Blood Banks, HIV Infections, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Hepatitis B, HIV Seropositivity, Hepatitis B Virus, Blood-Borne Pathogens, Bangladesh, bloodKWDaegis,bloodtransfusion,blooddonors,bloodbanks,hivinfections,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hepatitisb,hivseropositivity,hepatitisbvirus,blood-bornepathogens,bangladesh,blood

020707
F11746

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.