Supply of blood for transfusion in the Caribbean and Latin American countries in 2005: Base line data for the Regional Plan of Action for Transfusion Safety 2006-2010

Abstract

[Introduction]. This publication follows two previous reports produced by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in 2005 and 2006, with the purpose of providing data on the progress of the plan to strengthen blood banks in the Region of the Americas that was approved by PAHO’s Directing Council in October 19991. The previous publications, Transfusion Medicine in the Caribbean and Latin American countries, 2000-20032, and National Blood Systems in the Caribbean and Latin American Countries: Basic Indicators of their Status in 20043, provided a summary of the data on organization of the blood national blood systems and indicators of blood availability and safety received each year from the majority of the 41 countries/territories.