Abstract

In 1974, the government of Iran established Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) as national and centralized transfusion system. Since then donations of blood may not be remunerated and therapy with blood and its components are free of charges for all Iranian patients. Donations are meticulously screened through interviewing donors and lab testing the donations using serological methods. Currently, Iranian donors donate 1 735 000 units of blood annually (donation index: 25/1000 population). Implementation of a highly efficient donor selection programme, including donors interview, establishment of confidential unit exclusion programme and laboratory screening of donated bloods by IBTO have led to seroprevalence rates of 0.41, 0.12 and 0.004 for HBV, HCV and HIV in donated bloods respectively. Since 2004, IBTO has initiated a programme to enter into a contract fractionation agreement for the surplus of recovered plasma produced in its blood collecting centres. Although IBTO has used this project as a mean to improve national transfusion system through upgrading its quality assurance systems, IBTO fractionation project has played a major role in improving availability of plasma-derived medicines in Iran. During 2006-2007, this project furnished the Iran market with 44 and 14 of its needs to the intravenous immunoglobulin and albumin, respectively. Iranian experience showed that contract fractionation of plasma in countries with organized centralized transfusion system, which lack national plasma fractionation facility, in addition to substantial saving on national health resource and enhancing availability of plasma-derived medicines, could serve as a useful means to improve national blood safety profile.