DRC

 

U.S.  Office

1025 Thomas Jefferson Street,, NW,

Suite 525East

Washington, DC 20007

Phone:  (202) 333-5304

E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

African Headquarters

Knights Piésold House

4 de la Rey Road, Rivonia, South Africa, 2128

P.O. Box 783902, Sandton 2146, Sandton, South Africa

Phone: +27 - 11 234 9851; E-mail:

ingrid @ safebloodforafrica.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Safe Blood for Africa FoundationTM (SBFA) started its intervention in eastern provinces of DRC in 2007.  The initial USAID-funded blood safety programme aimed to secure a source of SAFE BLOOD for transfusion patients to prevent the spread of HIV and other blood-borne infectious diseases in those provinces supported.  The primary means to ensure the safety of the blood being transfused to patients was to implement a programme of testing with 100% compliance.  Other strategies included: Training on several aspects of the Blood Safety Value Chain (BSVC) including Voluntary Non Remunerated Blood Donation (VNRBD), Quality Assurance (QA) in Blood Services, the Appropriate Clinical Use of Blood (ACUB) and the correct use of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits for the detection of Transfusion Transmitted Infections (TTIs).Since 2012, the SBFA has collaborated with CDC/PEPFAR in the following activities:

 

 

Since 2012, the SBFA has collaborated with CDC/PEPFAR in the following activities:

  • Assessment of the Programme National de Transfusion Sanguine (PNTS), DRC’s National Blood Service, at the central, provincial and health zone levels in order to identify gaps and make adequate recommendations to strengthen Blood Safety;
  • Integration of findings of the assessment with a revised five-year strategic plan;
  • Development of a Technical Assistance and Implementation Plans; and
  • Increased blood collection from low risk VNRBDs, especially through mobile collections.

 

Our Achievements:

Through Technical Assistance the PNTS in DRC were strengthened by our:

  • Training of 715 Congolese Health Care Professionals (from 2008 to 2011;
  • Distribution of 111 600 Rapid Diagnostic Tests in the provinces;
  • Preventing 1450 HIV transmissions through contaminated blood;
  • Development of a comprehensive assessment protocol;
  • Conducting a thorough situational assessment of PNTS;
  • Revising the PNTS’s Strategic Plan;
  • Creating a “Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions” (KAP) Survey tool;
  • Conducting the KAP survey and its report; and
  • Developing and implementing of the Blood Collection Plan.

 

The programme of Technical Assistance to strengthen Blood Safety in DRC continues under a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
 

Projects