National Blood Transfusion Center of COTE D'IVOIRE

KM 4 Bd de Marseille, B.P.  V 15 ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE
Tel: 225 - 21 35 57 23  -  Fax: 225 - 21 24 66 29
email: plasma@aviso.com

Introduction / Background

The National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTS) was founded in 1958. It distributes around 90 000 blood packs and carries out around 500 000 blood tests per year. All blood donors are volunteers; 70% of them on a regular basis.

The CNTS' annual budget is around Franc CFA (Franc de la Communauté Financière Africaine) 1 200 000 000.

a) Technical Equipment

During the past decade 1990-2000, the CNTS has acquired hi-tech material in order to allow the centre to meet the requirements for quality service, ensuring blood safety and preventing transfusion transmitted infections.

Medical & paramedical staff    45
Doctors (*)                     12
Technicians                           33
Administrative staff                  7
Auxiliary workers                   28
TOTAL                                  80

c) Quality process

The CNTS has initiated various approaches and actions in order to improve the quality of its activities by introducing Quality Assurance concepts including:
- Internal Quality control
- External Quality Assessment (EQA). In this regard CNTS has signed 2 cooperation agreements with organizations conducting External Quality Assessment Schemes: CDC Atlanta, GA, USA (for HIV1 EQAS) and UK NEQAS (for ABO grouping, Rh grouping, Coombs direct and indirect, compatibility test)
- Sanitary Monitoring


d)   Cooperation
Since July 2001, the CNTS has become a Quality Training Centre in Blood Transfusion for the WHO.

The personnel of the CNTS have contributed to the establishment of national policy for blood transfusion in Congo (ex-Zaire), Mauritania, Niger and Cote d'Ivoire. In addition the CNTS has, since 1997, participated in the program for monitoring emerging and re-emerging diseases with the Japanese Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the WHO.

The CNTS has initiated/continued with several program of national and international cooperation:

• RETRO-CI
  
• PRIMO-CI
  
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  

Terms of References

• Contribution to the efforts of the ICBS aimed at improving quality assurance and installing quality systems in African blood transfusion centers and blood banks.
  
• Training of personnel of blood transfusion centers and blood banks in African countries, especially the French speaking African countries in quality assurance principles and applications including help to set up their own national quality assurance programs in a broader sens.
  
• Play the role of a Reference Center for blood transfusion centers in the West African Region.