Blood safety
Ensuring blood safety is of critical importance for Red Cross and Red Crescent blood programs and it underpins all that we do. Access resources and guidance on blood safety and quality, relevant technical standards & accreditation, and emerging infectious disease.
Standards and accreditation
Blood safety standards provide the specific criteria and requirements to be met for blood and blood components, and for the most important steps in the blood service’s activities. The minimum standards to be applied should be set by the country’s Government or Ministry of Health and be based on internationally recognised standards.
Where country specific technical blood standards are unavailable, relevant internationally recognised standards and accreditation frameworks are available which can be adopted by a National Society blood service.
For resource limited countries, a starting point for blood services yet to implement standards and achieve accreditation is to adopt fundamental standards which may be applied in a stepwise approach. These provide the minimum requirements for a blood service, with the view that the blood service would progress to implementation of the full standards at a future point, when resources allow.
For further information on available standards and accreditation frameworks, please contact GAP.
Reference and guidance documents
Guidelines
(click links below)
- Blood cold chain: guide to the selection and procurement of equipment and accessories (2002)
- Blood Donor Counselling Implementation Guidelines (2014)
- Blood donor selection: guidelines on assessing donor suitability for blood donation (2012)
- Costing Blood Transfusion Services (1998)
- Design guidelines for blood centres (2010)
- Developing a National Policy and Guidelines on the Clinical Use of Blood (2001)
- Establishing external quality assessment programmes for screening of donated blood for transfusion-transmissible infections: Implementation guide (2016)
- External quality assessment of transfusion laboratory practice: guidelines on establishing an EQA Scheme in blood group serology
- Guidance on centralization of blood donation testing and processing (2021)
- Guidance on ensuring a sufficient supply of safe blood and blood components during emergencies (2023)
- Guide to establishing a national haemovigilance system (2016)
- Guidelines on good manufacturing practices for blood establishments (2011)
- Manual on the management, maintenance and use of blood cold chain equipment (2005)
- Safe Blood and Blood Products Distance Learning Material (2002)
- Safe management of wastes from healthcare activities (2014)
- Screening donated blood for transfusion-transmissible infections: Recommendations (2009)
- Towards 100% voluntary blood donation: a global framework for action (2010)
- Quality Assurance of Pharmaceuticals: A Compendium of Guidelines and Related Materials, Volume 2, Good Manufacturing Practices and Inspection (2007)
- Voluntary non-remunerated blood donations to ensure blood safety in the WHO South-East Asia Region to support universal health coverage (2023)
Aide-Memoir
(click links below)
Ebola
(click links below)
- WHO Ebola virus disease Q&A
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control – Risk of Ebola virus transmission through donated blood and other substances of human origin
- US Food & Drug Administration – Recommendations for assessment of blood donor eligibility, donor deferral and blood product management in response to Ebola virus
Mpox (formerly Monkeypox)
(click links below)
- WHO Monkeypox Q&A
- WHO Multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries
- US Food & Drug Administration – Information for blood establishments regarding the Monkeypox virus and blood donation
COVID-19
(click links below)
- WHO Maintaining a Safe and Adequate Blood Supply and collecting convalescent plasma in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021)
- WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
- WHO Therapeutics and COVID-19: living guideline
- WHO Protecting the Blood Supply During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
- WHO Contact tracing and quarantine in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance
- European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19
- European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and supply of substances of human origin in the EU/EEA – second update
- AABB Coronavirus Resources
- AABB Clinical Practice Guidelines from the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB): COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma
- AABB-Accredited Blood Donor Centers Focus on Donor Safety First
- AABB Infographic: Enhancing Donor Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- AABB Focus on Blood Center Staff Wellness and Safety
GAP resources
Information brochure
- Ebola Virus: Information for Blood Programs in regions where Ebola cases are active
Download: English
Information brochure
- Mpox and blood safety – Information for Blood Programs
Download: English
WHO Technical Guidance
GAP undertakes regular review of the WHO website to assess new COVID-19 technical documents as they are released. GAP reviews each new document and assesses the relevance and application for Red Cross / Red Crescent National Society blood programs before inclusion on the below list.
- Download: English
GAP Report
COVID-19 Impact on Blood Programs: Summary of key learnings and suggested strategies
- Download: English
Information brochures
- Meet Demand: Maintain Safety
Download: English | Francais - Managing critical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Download: English | Francais - COVID-19 vaccinations and the blood program
Download: English | Francais - Long term impact of COVID-19 and blood donation
Download: English | Francais - Maximising blood drives at schools and universities during COVID-19
Download: English | Francais - The experience of blood programs: COVID-19
Download: English | Francais
Customisable templates
- For community education on COVID-19 and blood donation
Download: Examples of brochure and poster English | French
Watch our GAP webinars and videos (COVID-19 pandemic and blood programs)
Online training (eLearning module)
- COVID-19 and the blood service: Meet demand and maintain safety
Access here (login required, no cost)