Prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with transfusion transmissible infections among voluntary blood...

Transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis, remain a major public health concern in low-income countries due to inadequate blood donation systems. This highlights the urgent need for continuous surveillance and a deeper understanding of the factors associated with TTIs in Rwanda.

A retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed voluntary blood donor records from the National Center for Blood Transfusion (NCBT) in Kigali, Rwanda, spanning January 2019 to December 2023. A census of all available records was used to select 38,345 eligible donors aged 18-60 years. Data were extracted from electronic databases and analyzed using SPSS version 25, with chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression to identify predictors of transfusion-transmissible infections.

The overall prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections declined from 2019 to 2023, with HBV decreasing from 0.76% to 0.41%, HCV from 0.30% to 0.18%, HIV remaining stable at 0.04%-0.08%, and syphilis slightly increasing to 0.26%. Multivariate analysis showed that male gender was independently associated with HBV (aOR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.54-4.38, p < 0.001) and HIV (aOR = 3.84, 95% CI: 1.63-9.05, p = 0.002). First-time donor status was independently associated with higher odds of HBV (aOR = 4.09, 95% CI: 2.26-7.39, p < 0.001) and HIV (aOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 0.77-11.34, p < 0.001). Gasabo district was independently associated with lower odds of HBV (aOR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.34-0.90, p = 0.017) and higher odds of HCV (aOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.25-4.40, p = 0.008), relative to Nyarugenge.

TTI prevalence among Kigali blood donors remained low with declining HBV and HCV trends from 2019 to 2023, while HIV rates stayed consistently low. Male gender, older age, first-time donor status, and specific occupations were independently associated with TTI positivity. Rwanda's blood screening protocols appear effective, though targeted interventions for high-risk groups and continued surveillance are recommended.

Not applicable.