Innovative blood transfusion strategies to address global blood deserts: a consensus statement from the Blood Delivery via Emerging Strategies for Emergency Remote Transfusion (Blood DESERT) Coalition.

In rural settings worldwide, many people live in effective blood deserts without access to any blood transfusion. The traditional system of blood banking is logistically complex and expensive for many resource-restricted settings and demands innovative and multidisciplinary solutions. 17 international experts in medicine, industry, and policy participated in an exploratory process with a 2-day hybrid seminar centred on three promising innovative strategies for blood transfusions in blood deserts: civilian walking blood banks, intraoperative autotransfusion, and drone-based blood delivery.

Homozygote drepanocytosis: Ferric status and inflammation in world and Africa: Review article and meta analysis.

Background And Aims: Major sickle cell syndromes are subjected to a high frequency of hemolysis, infections, oxidative stress, and vasooclusive crises which promote inflammation and iron balance disorders. We aimed to systematically review and analyze the studies in this patients addressing in general, and Africa in particular.

Methods: The systematic review of published articles in the Pubmed and Google Scholar databases was carried out according to the recommendations of the PRISMA model.

Transfusion medicine research in Africa: Insights from investigators in the field.

Background And Objectives: Research in low-resource settings is inherently challenging. We sought to assess the factors that have impeded or facilitated transfusion medicine (TM) research in various African settings.

Materials And Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted of selected investigators in Africa; selection was based on productivity-spanning publication, leadership and research in TM.

Rationale for supporting stepwise access to safe plasma proteins through local production in low- and middle-income countries: A commentary of an international workshop.

This document provides a commentary and further elaboration on the conclusions reached during a recent international workshop on plasma protein therapies organized by the Working Party for Global Safety of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). The workshop addressed the profound deficiency in access to safe plasma protein therapies that persists in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We provide additional factual economic and technological information that highlights why local production of small-scale virus-inactivated concentrates of clotting factors and immune globulins from domestic recovered plasma through stepwise introduction of available validated technologies is a pragmatic approach to gradually improve the care of patients with bleeding disorders and immune deficiencies in LMIC while supporting progress toward fractionation of plasma.

New insights into Human Pegivirus-1 (HPgV-1) genotypes diversity in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the framework of a viral discovery research program using metagenomics, Human Pegivirus-1 reads (HPgV-1, formerly known as GBV-C) were detected in plasma pools of healthy blood donors from seven sub-Saharan African countries. For five of these countries, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burundi and Madagascar, no data about HPgV-1 genotypes was reported to date. To confirm our metagenomic findings and further investigate the genotype diversity and distribution of HPgV-1 in Africa, 400 blood donations from these five localities as well as from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Burkina Faso were screened with a RT-nested PCR targeting the viral 5'NCR region.

Cytokine levels of interleukin-2 and 7 amongst antiretroviral therapy success and failure HIV patients attending the University Teaching Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Background: Immune reconstitution complications (IRC) are a major problem faced by HIV treated patients world wide. Interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-7 play vital roles in peripheral T-cell homeostasis. Our study objective was to measure and compare the blood plasma levels of IL-2 and IL-7 amongst antiretroviral therapy (ART) patients attending the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital, Cameroon.

High prevalence of cyclovirus Vietnam (CyCV-VN) in plasma samples from Madagascan healthy blood donors.

Cycloviruses, small ssDNA viruses belonging to the Circoviridae family, have been suggested as possible causes of enteric, respiratory and neurological disorders in human patients. One of these species, cyclovirus-Vietnam (CyCV-VN), initially isolated from cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients with unexplained neurological disorders, has since been reported in serum samples from chronically patients infected with HBV, HCV or HIV, in Italy. On the other hand, CyCV-VN was not detected in serum samples from healthy individuals.

Prevalence of anti-hepatitis C antibodies and its co-infection with HIV in rural Cameroon.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of the co-infection between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the prevalence of factors associated with HCV transmission in a rural Cameroonian community.

Results: The mean age of the 174 participants included in the study was 30.3 (standard deviation = 13.

Addressing gaps in international blood availability and transfusion safety in low- and middle-income countries: a NHLBI workshop.

In April 2017, a workshop sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Division of Blood Diseases and Resources, and the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science was held to discuss blood availability and transfusion safety in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The purpose of the workshop was to identify research opportunities for implementation science (IS) to improve the availability of safe blood and blood components and transfusion practices in LMICs. IS describes the late stages of the translational research spectrum and studies optimal and sustainable strategies to deliver proven-effective interventions.

The infectious risks in blood transfusion as of today - A no black and white situation.

Transfusion has been tainted with the risk of contracting an infection - often severe - and fears about this risk are still prevailing, in sharp contrast with the actual risk in Western countries. Those actual risks are rather immunological, technical (overload) or metabolic. Meanwhile, in developing countries and particularly in Africa, transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) are still frequent, because of both the scarcity of volunteer blood donors and resources and the high incidence and prevalence of infections.

The use of rapid diagnostic tests for transfusion infectious screening in Africa: a literature review.

Infectious risk associated with blood transfusion remains a major public health challenge in Africa, where prevalence rates of the major transfusion-transmissible infections (ie, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis) are among the highest in the world. Resource-limited blood services often operate with minimal predonation screening safeguards, prompting exclusive reliance on laboratory testing to mitigate infectious risk. Transfusion screening with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been adopted in areas that lack the capacity to support the routine use of more sophisticated technologies.

Profile of blood cell abnormalities among antiretroviral therapy naïve HIV patients attending the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital, Cameroon.

Background: Abnormal hemograms are common manifestations and important predictive tools for morbidity in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Few studies have been reported on the blood profile of HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive subjects, therefore this study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively describe the blood cell profile of HIV ART naive patients, and to describe the occurrence of the blood cytopenias by CD4 cell counts and WHO clinical stage.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of ART naive HIV patients was done at the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital (YUTH).

Screening for hepatitis C virus infection in a high prevalence country by an antigen/antibody combination assay versus a rapid test.

In low-income-countries, screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is often based on rapid tests (RT). Their lower sensitivity compared to enzyme immunoassay (EIA) suggests that newer HCV Antigen/Antibody (Ag/Ab) combination assays might have a role in such countries. To test this idea, 1998 blood donors were tested at the University Teaching Hospital blood bank in Yaoundé, Cameroon simultaneously with a RT (HCV rapid test, Human Diagnostics, Berlin, Germany) according to standard practice (S1) and with an Ag/Ab assay (Monolisa HCV Ag/Ab Ultra, Biorad, France) (S2).

[The francophone Africa blood transfusion research network: a five-year report].

There has been little blood safety research in sub-Saharan Africa, often consisting of local efforts whose findings had limited impact The "Francophone Africa Transfusion Research Network" was created in May 2007 with the objective of developing common evidence-based blood safety policies that may be adapted to each country's situation. The Group's activities to date have focused mainly on obtaining epidemiological and laboratory data on blood transfusion and on suggesting blood safety strategies, particularly in the field of TTIs. To carry out such research activities, the group works closely with the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS), the Regional Blood Transfusion Services (RBTS), the hospital blood banks (HBB) and collection stations.

Transfusion safety in francophone African countries: an analysis of strategies for the medical selection of blood donors.

Background: The goal of selecting a healthy blood donor is to safeguard donors and reduce the risks of infections and immunologic complications for recipients.

Study Design And Methods: To evaluate the blood donor selection process, a survey was conducted in 28 blood transfusion centers located in 15 francophone African countries. Data collected included availability of blood products, risk factors for infection identified among blood donor candidates, the processing of the information collected before blood collection, the review process for the medical history of blood donor candidates, and deferral criteria for donor candidates.

Reduction of the risk of transfusion-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by using an HIV antigen/antibody combination assay in blood donation screening in Cameroon.

Background: Improving blood safety without introducing nucleic acid testing in blood screening may be possible using antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) combination assays, especially in resource-poor countries.

Study Design And Methods: To evaluate the potential reduction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-transmitted infection using such an assay, a study was carried out aimed to compare the routine strategy for blood screening (S1), combining a rapid test (Determine HIV-1/-2, Inverness) and an enzyme immunoassay (human HIV-1/-2, Human Diagnostic) with an HIV Ag/Ab assay (S2, Genscreen ULTRA HIV Ag-Ab, Bio-Rad) in 2000 blood donations tested in Cameroon. Western blot and HIV RNA polymerase chain reaction were used to confirm the infection in reactive donors, and genotype was determined in HIV RNA-positive samples.

Risk factors for transmission of HIV in a hospital environment of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Risk factors for HIV transmission within a hospital setting were assessed using pre-structured questionnaires and observations. Of 409 respondents, 66.3% corresponded to the nursing staff, 14.

[Causes of anaemia in African children aged 5 to 10 years].

This study was conducted among two groups of 105 children in a hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to determine the causes of anaemia in children aged 5- 10-years-old. The study group included children presenting clinical evidence of anaemia while the control group was made of children without anaemia. Both sets of children were matched for neighbourhoods within the city of Yaoundé.

Transfusion safety on the African continent: an international quality control of virus testing in blood banks.

Background: Following World Health Organization recommendations that a quality control (QC) system be implemented in African blood centers, a pilot study of the performance of human immunodeficiency virus antibody (anti-HIV), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) testing by several Sub-Saharan African blood centers was initiated.

Study Design And Methods: A reference laboratory sent a panel of 25 samples to six African blood center laboratories. The panel included eight negative samples; four anti-HIV-1–, one anti-HIV-2–, four anti-HCV–, and five HBsAg-positive samples; and three samples consisting of mixtures of two sera to mimic coinfections.

Characteristics of blood donors and donated blood in sub-Saharan Francophone Africa.

Background: The importance of blood safety in public health was recognized long ago, and data are essential to plan strategies to improve the status. This study aims to obtain data on blood donor and blood donation characteristics that would complement blood safety data from national and international organizations.

Materials And Methods: A questionnaire was sent to seven Francophone countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, and Rwanda) and was structured to obtain objective data on blood donors and donated blood and in administrative and technical organization.