WHO perspectives and actions in blood establishments
Organized by:
Blood and other Products of Human Origin (BTT), Technical Standards and Specifications (TSS) Unit, Health Products Policy and Standard Department, WHO. (links for sessions below)
WHO launched an Action Framework to advance universal access to safe, effective and quality-assured blood products 2020–2023 (Action Framework) on 27 February 2020. The Action Framework aims to provide strategic direction to global efforts to address present barriers to the safety and availability of blood products. One of the strategic objectives of the Action Framework is to build a strong national blood system with appropriate national framework of regulatory controls, national standards and quality assessment programmes to ensure an adequate and safe blood supply during both normal and emergency situations such as infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the supply of blood and blood components, and adversely affected blood system activities in many countries. Blood services in the world must be prepared and move quickly in response to pandemic of Covid-19, during which blood sufficiency is most likely to be affected, ideally this should be through the development, implementation and activation of their emergency response plans. Meanwhile, COVID-19 convalescent plasma can be made available on an experimental basis through local production provided that ethical and safety criteria are met for its preparation and use. Detailed risk assessment must always be conducted to ensure that the blood service has sufficient capability to safely collect, process and store these specific blood components in a quality-assured manner in compliance with established standards and requirements for plasma for transfusion.
The webinar which will be organized by WHO Blood and other products of human origin (BTT) team includes the presentation and discussion of the WHO Action Framework, WHO Interim Guidance on Maintaining a safe and adequate blood supply during the pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and recommendations on collection of COVID-19 convalescent plasma and the sharing of experiences in implementing measures in the blood establishment in maintaining blood supply and safety during COVID-19 pandemic at the Blood Establishment.