Prevalence of TTIs in donated blood termed an issue of concern
Transfusion transmissible infections rate among blood samples increased to 5.2pc in 2024 from 4.85pc in 2023 By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: A summary prepared by the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) about the yearly blood collections at various regional blood centres and blood banks revealed that 5.2% samples of the total 934,760 blood donations –either made voluntarily or availed on the family and exchange basis— in 2024 tested positive for at least one of the transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs), a situation that certainly needs to draw concern from experts and public healthcare authorities in the province. Despite advancement made in the context of blood donation safety during the last over a decade in the province, as claimed by health authorities, TTIs prevailed among blood donors, with the rates: hepatitis C virus (1.9%), syphilis (1.6%), hepatitis B virus (1.5%), HIV (0.1%), and malaria (0.1%) in 2024. Presence of such levels of TTIs among donors needs to be addre...