[Review of the main haemovigilance systems in the world]

Since 2002, major progress has occurred worldwide in the context of haemovigilance and significant improvement of the blood chain has come out as a result. Nevertheless different scenarios exist throughout the European Union and outside of Europe: the systems are mandatory or voluntary, notification is required for recipients, donors, processes or activities in the broad context of blood component transfusion. Differing from country to country, notification is mandatory for all adverse reactions or only for serious ones; and so it is with adverse events. Under-reporting is generally considered to be the most important single problem. But there is no doubt that haemovigilance will continue to help improve quality and safety of blood transfusion.