CAMEROON

The Safe Blood for Africa Foundation™ (SBFA), a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, draws an extensive experience gained from efforts to provide technical assistance (TA) for the establishment of fully functioning, sustainable, centrally coordinated, autonomous /semiautonomous national blood services in countries in accordance with WHO prescribed best practices. The SBFA is dedicated to the establishment of sustainable Blood Services according to the guidelines and recommendations of the WHO for developing countries. Our operational structure, based on the Blood Safety Value Chain (BSVC) is a framework designed to demonstrate the connectedness between various components that are critical to making up a centrally coordinated National Blood Service (NBS) advocated by the WHO.

Long term technical assistance needs have been identified for funding through two funding mechanisms: the PEPFAR Cameroon Country Operational Plan 2012 through a CDC/MoPH Cooperative agreement and a blood safety headquarters funded technical assistance cooperative agreement through Safe Blood for Africa Foundation to provide blood safety services to Cameroon.

Our Mission

SBFA is expected to assist Cameroon in the setting up of the National Blood Transfusion Program with a focus on scaling up of blood transfusion services such as blood collection, testing and distribution. SBFA will provide technical assistance services related to the following five key technical areas:

• Technical Requirement #1: Situational assessment
• Technical Requirement #2: Blood collection
• Technical Requirement #3: Blood testing 
• Technical Requirement # 4: Quality assurance including (M & E)
• Technical Requirement #5: Training

SBFA shall start at the following hospitals: 1). University Teaching Hospital Yaoundé, 2). Yaoundé Central Hospital, 3). Laquintinie Hospital, Douala, 4). Regional Hospital Bamenda, and 5). Regional Hospital Annex Buea. These blood banks will be expected to serve as reference blood transfusion centres as it is indicated in the National Blood Program.

Our Achievements:

Since initiation of the TA project SBFA has mainly achieved the following:

• developed a desktop analysis of Blood Safety in Cameroon;
• conducted an infield situational assessment of five pilot hospitals;
• conducted a Good-Average-Poor analysis based on the data from the assessment and desktop analysis;
• proposed a draft of Strategic Plan for the development of Blood Safety in Cameroon;
• conducted an assessment of training needs to inform a National Plan to develop a cadre of Blood safety professionals in Cameroon;
• developed a training plan for all staff based on the assessment;
• engaged local blood donor associations and Ministry of Public Health;
• conducted initial training on Introduction in Blood safety;
• developed registers for blood banks;
• developed a tool for baseline data collection and M&E;
• proposed Technical requirements for blood services in Cameroon;
• supported development of a strategy for improving collaboration between blood donors associations and Blood services; and
• supported training of members of blood donors association in Cameroon and overseas.

Next activities in 2015-2016:

• conduct training of 35 blood services staff in TTIs screening (DBTS-TTIs);
• conduct training of 35 blood services staff in blood group serology (DBTS-BGS);
• conduct training of 30 blood services staff in Blood component processing, storage, distribution & management (COMP);
• conduct training of 30 blood services staff in Patient Blood Testing ( PBT);
• mentor implementation of actions plans developed during trainings;
• Develop Donor screening and blood processing plans;
• Develop job descriptions and training/mentoring plans and
• Quality Assurance and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E).