Global Status Report on Blood Safety and Availability 2016

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Database on Blood Safety (GDBS) was established in 1998 to address global concerns about the availability, safety and accessibility of blood for transfusion. The objective of this activity is to collect and analyse data from all countries on blood and blood product safety as the basis for effective action to improve blood transfusion services globally. WHO has published several reports in the past on this topic, the most recent being in 2011. The present 2016 report, which is based on the latest GDBS data, provides information on the current status of blood transfusion services. It finds that blood and transfusion safety is a matter of continuing concern. The problem is particularly acute in developing and low-resource countries, where a high risk of transfusion-transmitted infections and an insufficient blood supply have a negative impact on the effective delivery and safety of key health services and interventions. For the first time, this report also presents in its annexes key data and information for each Member State.