Since 1975, WHO has been at the forefront of the movement to improve global blood safety as mandated by successive World Health Assembly resolutions. The objective of the WHO Blood Transfusion Safety (WHO/BTS) programme is to ensure provision of universal access to safe, quality and efficacious blood and blood products for transfusion, their safe and appropriate use, and also ensuring blood donor and patient safety.
WHO/BTS supports WHO Member States through policy advice and technical guidance, advocacy, mentoring, technical support, technology transfer, capacity building, twinning, networking, and facilitation of bilateral and multilateral funds.
WHO/BTS is committed to:
- Saving lives by supporting development of national blood systems to ensure universal access to safe blood and blood products for transfusion;
- Preventing transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and C, Chagas disease and other blood-borne pathogens by ensuring blood safety;
- Building effective and efficient collaboration and partnerships for global blood safety and working with countries, international partners, experts, collaborating centres, local institutions and communities;
- Advocating for political support and consistent resources for sustainable, nationally-coordinated blood transfusions services;
- Developing scientific and evidence-based guidance on safety, quality, availability and use of blood and blood products;
- Strengthening the capacity and quality of national blood systems;
- Improving clinical transfusion practices.
Related information
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Making safe blood available in Africa - statement by Dr Neelam Dhingra
pdf, 65kb -
Improving blood safety worldwide - Lancet editorial
pdf, 64kb -
Blood safety resolutions adopted by WHO governing bodies
pdf, 860kb
Blood safety in other departments of WHO
- HIV/AIDS
- Making Pregnancy Safer
- Patient Safety
- Hepatitis
- Injection Safety
- Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response
- Health-care Waste Management
- Chagas disease
