First Report from Afghanistan on the Prevalence of Blood-Borne Infections: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Multicentre Study for an Epidemiological Assessment
Year: 2022
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The transfusion of blood and blood components has a significant role in healthcare services. However, it remains a possible risk factor for blood-borne infections. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of serological markers of common blood-borne infections among the blood donor population of Afghanistan. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study based on retrospectively collected data over a period of six years from 284 blood centres across 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Every blood donor's sample was tested by rapid immunoassays for the serological markers of blood-borne infections namely hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), anti-human immunodeficiency virus 1/2 (anti-HIV1/2), and anti-Treponema pallidum (anti-TP). RESULTS: All blood donors during the study period were males. The majority of blood donations were from the family replacement category 56.93% (n = 544,568). The overall pooled prevalence of blood-borne infections was 4.36% with a comparatively higher percentage in family replacement donors 4.88%. The seropositivity for HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV1/2, and anti-TP was 2.95%, 0.81%, 0.04%, and 0.54%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Complete reliance on voluntary blood donors and screening with quality assured highly sensitive assay is recommended to ensure blood safety in the country.
Source: Journal of Blood Medicine
DOI: 10.2147/jbm.s344180
Authors: Enayatullah Hashemi, Usman Waheed, Noore Saba, Akhlaaq Wazeer
Institutions: Ministry of Public Health, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Language: English
Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,320
OpenAlex ID: W4205157643