Revival of the Ugandan Blood Transfusion System 1989: an example of international cooperation

10 yr of civil war in Uganda had destroyed the Blood Transfusion Service when the government came to power in 1986. AIDS had become recognized as a problem of severe proportion. In 1987, the E.E.C. pledged to rehabilitate the central blood bank. This paper describes the first year of operation from December 1988. Over 5000 units of blood, largely from volunteer donors, were delivered to 19 hospitals. The overall incidence of HIV-1 seropositivity was 14.6% and Hepatitis B surface antigen was 5.5%. The cost was 21.5 ECU (US $25) for each unit of HIV negative, H.B.s.Ag. negative, blood.