Quality and Safety

Blood transfusion is a unique technology that blends science with altruism. Ensuring safe blood transfusion requires not only the application of science and technology to blood processing and testing but also social mobilization to promote voluntary blood donation by healthy individuals at low risk of transmitting infections.

While blood can save lives, it can also be a vector for harmful infectious diseases. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s—an emerging infection at the time—highlighted the importance of preventing transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). Additionally, as new pathogens evolve, they may pose further threats to the safety and availability of the blood supply, underscoring the need for effective surveillance and vigilance systems for blood and transfusion safety at both global and national levels.

Since 1975, the World Health Assembly has emphasized the global need for blood safety and availability through several resolutions (notably, WHA28.72 (1975); WHA58.13 (2005); and WHA63.12 (2010)). These resolutions have prioritized the issue within global and national health agendas and identified guiding principles and essential elements for developing sustainable national blood systems to ensure the safety and quality of blood products.

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) plays a leading global role in ensuring safe and quality-assured blood supplies. It supports member states in implementing policies, systems, standards, internationally recognized good practices, and structures to ensure the safety, quality, and accessibility of blood and blood products to meet the needs of all patients requiring transfusion.