Coverage of HIV rapid tests for safe blood transfusion

Coverage of HIV rapid tests for safe blood transfusion

Coverage of HIV rapid tests for safe blood transfusion

The percentage of referral hospitals that have sufficient HIV rapid tests to ensure all blood destined for transfusion is screened.  “Sufficient HIV rapid tests” are reported by the service supervisor based on the caseload.

This indicator is calculated as:

(Number of referral hospitals with sufficient HIV rapid tests to screen blood for transfusion/ Total number of referral hospitals) x100

Data Requirement(s):

List of all referral hospitals in area of interest and accurate inventory systems to track how many HIV rapid tests are in stock as compared to how many are in demand in a given time frame (e.g. one month)

Referral hospitals

Safe blood transfusion is essential to prevent the transmission of transfusion-transmissible infections like HIV but also hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis. If HIV-contaminated blood is transfused, transmission of HIV to the recipient is almost 100%.  Establishing and maintaining a sufficient supply of HIV rapid tests at referral-level hospitals is critical for reducing the transmission of HIV from the onset of a humanitarian response.

The validity of this indicator will be compromised when health facilities have poor inventory control.  Also, one HIV screening test is insufficient to determine HIV status.  Thus, if staff are inadequately trained or are not following national protocols for screening of blood, they may determine they have a sufficient number of HIV rapid tests when in actuality they have too few.

HIV/AIDS, emergency

Inter-agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crises. 2010. Inter-agency Field Manual on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings: 2010 Revision for Field Review.

WHO. 2000. World Health Day 2000: Strategies for Safe Blood Transfusion. Geneva: WHO.

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