Situation and perspectives of blood transfusion in Mali

Blood transfusion in Mali is constantly confronted with the problem of the availability of blood products, even in life-threatening emergencies. Although the number of donations increases each year, so does the need for blood products; donations do not appear to meet demand. With an infrastructure that does not meet standards for security, confidentiality, or quality, the Mali national blood transfusion center has nonetheless seen an increase in donations - from 30,000 annually in 2007-2010 to about 50,000 donations in 2015. Immunohematological analyses for donors and patients are limited to ABOD antigens. In 2015, the prevalence of markers for HIV was 3%, for HBV 15.5 %, for HCV 1.7%, and for syphilis 0.1 %. This situation has been the subject of an analysis of the needed improvements and prospects for them at all stages of the transfusion chain.