With the introduction of a new test called nucleic-acid amplification test (NAT) at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), donated blood can now be screened for hepatitis B and C and HIV at the very initial stage – even before they ‘appear’ in the donor. The NAT is a definite step forward in ensuring the availability of safer blood and blood products.
This was the consensus after a day-long seminar at Aga Khan University Hospital to celebrate the World Blood Donor Day on Monday.
Speaking on the dismal state of blood donations in Pakistan, AKUH Consultant Haemotologist Dr Bushra Moiz told the audience that a meagre one percent of the country’s population donate blood, which means that the annual demand of 3.2 million blood units falls short by 40 percent, almost the half.
She added that there are three types of donors: family/replacement; voluntary non-remunerated; and paid/commercial.
“In Pakistan, voluntary non-remunerated donors contribute less than 20 percent of all blood donations, making it difficult to achieve the World Health Organisation’s goal of 100 percent voluntary blood donations by 2020,” she said, pointing out that the theme for World Blood Donor Day 2011 is ‘More Blood, More Life’ and reinforces the urgent need for more people across the world to become life-savers by volunteering for blood donation regularly.
AKUH Consultant Haemotologist Dr Usman Shaikh informed the gathering that in Pakistan approximately three to four percent of the population suffers from viral hepatitis and other transmittable diseases, which “makes it all the more important to screen donated blood.”
He described the three steps already adopted by the AKUH to ensure safe blood donation process with blood donors selected after an interview and a mini-examination to ensure their physical fitness, followed by screening the blood for five transfusion-transmissible diseases including hepatitis B and C, HIV, malaria and syphilis.
Beginning from June 14, in addition to the current processes, the AKUH blood bank will also offer the NAT test, said Dr Shaikh.
First used by the American Red Cross in March 1999, the NAT detects minute amounts of genetic material from viruses such as hepatitis B and C and HIV. This allows very recently infected donors to be detected, those in the preseroconversion phase when antibodies to the illness have not yet developed nor are the symptoms visible. For the blood donor it means early detection and treatment of a disease.
The blood banks around the city and country can benefit as the AKUH will be offering nucleic acid testing services in a quality assured laboratory.
