Aide-mémoire for National Health Policy makers: good policy process for blood safety and availability

Overview

The safety and availability of blood and blood products continue to be of major concern, particularly in the developing world, where blood shortages and unsafe transfusion contribute significantly to the global burden of disease,
especially among women and children, the most vulnerable populations. Through successive World Health Assembly Resolutions, national health authorities have expressed their commitment to ensuring equitable access to safe blood
transfusion for patients who depend on it for their survival and well-being. The public health importance of blood safety issues necessitates that each country should establish a sustainable national blood programme with a well-formulated
national blood policy and plan, a national blood transfusion service, legislative and regulatory mechanisms, and a structured process for policy making.