• UGI USER
  • Jan 04, 2024
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THE BLOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM NEEDS A FRESH INFUSION

Syllabus

  • GS2: Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. 

Why in the News?

  • Recently, the World Health Organization highlighted global disparities in blood collection, emphasizing the need for improved access to blood and its products.
  • The hub-and-spoke model, innovative partnerships, and dispelling myths around blood donation are crucial for building resilient global health architecture.
Source: Newsbugz

Global Disparities in Blood Collection

Global Health Inequities Exposed

  • The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted stark global health disparities, prompting a call for a revamped global health architecture.
  • Policymakers emphasize crucial strategies, including increased health financing, digital health adoption, and broader access to medical countermeasures.
  • Amidst these, ensuring access to blood and its products emerges as a fundamental priority.

Crucial Role of Blood Products

  • Blood and its products are indispensable in various medical scenarios, spanning scheduled surgeries, emergencies, and treatments for conditions like cancer, thalassemia and postpartum haemorrhage (PPH)
  • Addressing global health disparities necessitates prioritizing reliable access to blood, forming a cornerstone for building a resilient global health framework.
  • Such measures contribute to overall health resilience, ensuring comprehensive healthcare solutions for diverse needs.

The issue of blood shortage

  • A World Health Organization (WHO) report highlights significant global imbalances in blood collection.
  • The WHO African region, comprising 14% of the world’s population, manages only 5% of global donations.
  • Similarly, low-income nations and lower-middle-income nations, constituting 8% and 40% of the global population, receive only 2% and 24% of worldwide contributions.
Source:TOI

Blood Shortage in India

Challenges in Blood Management

  • India, while making improvements in blood management, struggles with a chronic shortage of blood units.
  • According to the WHO’s criteria for self-sufficiency, India gathered approximately 1.27 crore blood units in the year 2019-20, experiencing a deficit of more than 6 lakh units.

Impact on Healthcare System

  • Research conducted by Savitribai Phule Pune University indicates, scarcity poses a substantial risk to the healthcare system.
  • Endangering around 12,000 accident victims annually and potentially affecting 1,00,000 heart surgeries and 30,000 bone marrow transplants.

Advantages of a hub and spoke model

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)

  • Establishing robust PPPs in the healthcare sector offers a promising avenue to tackle disparities in accessing safe and sustainable blood.
  • Collaborations between industry leaders pave the way for innovative models that effectively address existing challenges in blood collection and distribution.

Hub and Spoke Model

Addressing Critical Gaps in LMICs

  • In resource-constrained settings, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), the hub and spoke model emerges as an innovative solution.
  • High-volume blood banks serve as central hubs, strategically linked to smaller blood centers, alleviating critical gaps in blood availability and distribution.

Enhancing Accessibility and Availability

  • This model optimizes the accessibility and availability of blood and its products.
  • The decentralized network ensures that even remote areas receive timely access to life-saving blood resources.

Optimizing Utilization

  • Given the short shelf life of blood and its products, the hub and spoke model becomes crucial for optimizing utilization.
  • Smaller blood centers efficiently distribute resources, reducing losses from expiration and ensuring maximum impact.

Blood Wastage Epidemic

Surprising Surplus Elimination

  • Parliamentary data discloses a disconcerting trend – a surplus of 30 lakh blood units and related products met disposal between 2014-15 and 2016-17.
  • The primary culprits behind this wastage were non-utilization leading to expiration, storage-induced degradation, and contamination with infections like HIV and syphilis.
Source:TOI

Hub and Spoke Revolution

  • Implementation of the hub and spoke model emerges as a potential game-changer, promising improved accessibility to safe blood and its products.
  • This transformative approach particularly aids community health centers and smaller sub-district hospitals, crucial in challenging geographies.

Myth-Busting for Blood Donation

Barrier to Voluntary Donations

  • Misguided beliefs and misinformation act as barriers to voluntary blood donation.
  • Fears of infections, concerns about weakened immunity, and misconceptions about the time commitment deter potential donors.
  • Addressing these myths through targeted awareness initiatives is crucial to debunking misconceptions and encouraging a culture of voluntary and informed blood donation.

Public-Private Collaboration for Awareness

Enhancing Grassroots Awareness

  • Collaboration between the private sector and the government is vital for targeted awareness campaigns.
  • By utilizing social media and innovative tools like multi-lingual comics, these campaigns can effectively communicate the importance and advantages of regular, voluntary blood donation.
  • These creative strategies ensure engagement across diverse audiences, fostering a culture of informed and voluntary participation in blood donation.

Shaping the Post-Pandemic Health Paradigm

Strategic Health Planning

  • As the world transitions beyond the pandemic, a recalibration of the global developmental agenda is imperative.
  • Recognizing the pivotal role of blood in modern healthcare, political leaders and policymakers must prioritize strengthening the blood management ecosystem.
  • Industry involvement and citizen engagement serve as integral components, collectively contributing to a resilient and effective healthcare system for an equitable and sustainable future.
Blood management in India

Milestones in Blood Transfusion Services

·   1945: First blood bank established in Kolkata.

·   1954: Initiation of voluntary blood donation.

·   1996: NBTC and SBTC formed, mandatory licensing of blood banks.

·   2002: Formulation of the National Blood Policy.

·   National Blood Policy 2002

Objectives

·   Commitment to providing safe and adequate blood.

·   Allocation of resources for BTS development.

·   Adoption of the latest technology in BTS operations.

Supreme Court Directive and NBTC

·   The Supreme Court mandated the formation of the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) in 1996.

·   Objectives included promoting voluntary blood donation, ensuring safe transfusions, and formulating and implementing blood policy.

NBTC’s Role

·   Policy Formulation: NBTC serves as the apex body, formulating policies for blood centers nationwide.

·   Coordinates with State Blood Transfusion Councils (SBTCs) and involves other ministries and health programs.

Regulatory Bodies and Legislations

·   National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC): Founded in 1996, NBTC is the apex body overseeing blood transfusion services in India.

·   Drug Controller General of India (DCGI): Regulates the quality and safety of blood components, ensuring compliance with established norms.

·   Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO): Ensures adherence to drug-related regulations, including blood products.

Key Legislations

·   Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: Governs the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of drugs, including blood products.

·   Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010: Facilitates the regulation of clinical establishments, including blood banks.

 

Source : Hindu

 

Mains Practice Question

Discuss the global disparities in blood collection highlighted by the World Health Organization, emphasizing the challenges faced by low-income and lower-middle-income nations in accessing blood donations.