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Blood donors in Kenya: a comparison of voluntary and family replacement donors based on a population‐based survey
Author(s) -
Kimani D.,
Mwangi J.,
Mwangi M.,
Bunnell R.,
Kellogg T. A.,
Oluoch T.,
Gichangi A.,
Kaiser R.,
Mugo N.,
Odongo T.,
Oduor M.,
Marum L.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2010.01376.x
Subject(s) - medicine , turnover , syphilis , population , blood donor , blood transfusion , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , demography , donation , environmental health , family medicine , surgery , immunology , management , sociology , economics , economic growth
Background and Objectives Blood safety and sufficiency are major challenges in Kenya and other sub‐Saharan African countries forcing many countries to rely on family replacement donors (FRD). We analysed data from a national AIDS indicator survey to describe blood donors in Kenya and potential risks of transfusion transmissible infections (TTI) comparing voluntary donors and FRD. Materials and Methods A population‐based, cross‐sectional survey was conducted in 2007 among 15‐ to 64‐ year‐olds. Consenting participants were interviewed about blood donation history and were tested for HIV, HSV‐2 and syphilis. Results Of the 17 940 people surveyed, 445 (2·3%) reported donating blood in the prior 12 months. Sixty‐four per cent were voluntary donors, and the rest were FRD. Compared to FRD, the majority of voluntary donors were < 25 years old (59% versus 18%), from the highest wealth quintile (57% versus 42%) and single (64% versus 23%). In addition, voluntary donors were less likely to have been sexually active than replacement donors (43% versus 13%). HIV prevalence was lower among voluntary donors than among FRD (2·6% versus 7·4%, P ‐value = 0·07). Conclusions The majority of blood donors in Kenya are voluntary with lower potential risk of TTI.