article · Tanzania journal of health research/Tanzania Journal of Health Research
Blood and blood products remain scarce resources, with sub-Saharan African countries facing critical shortages due to underfunded blood safety programmes. High discard rates compound low donation levels, threatening both supply stability and the financial viability of donation facilities. A cross-sectional investigation monitoring 1,200 donated units over three months at the Muhimbili National Hospital blood donation centre identified the primary drivers of blood wastage. Transfusion-transmissible infections were the main cause of discards overall, with Hepatitis B virus alone accounting for 4.8 percent of the total discarded blood units. Beyond infectious causes, cold chain failure was identified as the leading non-infectious driver of wastage, contributing 2.7 percent of the total units lost. These findings pinpoint the dual operational hurdles of donor infection screening and cold chain maintenance in hospital blood management.
Blood supplies are limited and costly to maintain, especially in regions with low donation rates. Identifying the specific reasons why donated blood is thrown away helps health services address avoidable losses, whether through improved disease screening or better temperature management, ensuring more safe units reach patients in need.
The findings highlight clear operational targets for blood banks and hospital administrators seeking to reduce waste. Developers of robust cold chain monitoring technologies, reliable backup storage systems, and sensitive rapid screening tools for Hepatitis B could target these facilities. However, the abstract reports observational data only and does not indicate an immediate application pathway or test a specific commercial product.
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Background: Blood and blood products are scarce resources worldwide, with Sub-Saharan African countries being the region most affected due to the lack of adequate funding for blood safety programs. In addition to low blood donation rates, blood discard has an essential impact on the blood supply and financial stability of the blood centre due to wastage. This study was conducted to determine factors contributing to blood discarding following donations at the Muhimbili blood donation centre.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at Muhimbili National Hospital's blood donation centre for three months. During the study period, 1200 donated blood units at the centre were monitored. Data were collected using a checklist, and frequencies were compared using a statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 23.Results: The overall leading cause of blood discard was Transfusion-Transmissible Infections (TTIs), with Hepatitis B virus infection accounting for 4.8% of total blood discard, followed by cold chain failure, contributing 2.7% of the total discarded.Conclusion: Hepatitis B infection was the leading cause of blood discard among TTIs, whereas cold chain failure contributed to blood discard among non-TI reasons.
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DOI: 10.4314/thrb.v26i1.6
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