Accra: Health sector stakeholders have been urged to enhance collaboration and accelerate compliance with blood safety regulations to ensure high-quality, safe, and effective transfusions across Ghana. The call was made at a stakeholder engagement on blood safety regulation, 'Road to Compliance,' organised by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) with support from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. William Addo Mills-Pappoe, Head of Clinical Laboratory Services, representing the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), expressed the Service's commitment to initiatives aimed at improving blood safety nationwide. He emphasized the GHS's role in the transformation of blood services in Ghana and the importance of future reforms and interventions.
Dr. Angela Ackon, on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, praised Ghana's regulatory reforms and stressed the necessity of a functional hemovigilance system to monitor, detect, and prevent adverse transfusion events. She reiterated WHO's commitment to providing technical support to strengthen Ghana's blood safety systems.
Dr. Jens Reinhardt, Head of the BloodTrain Project at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, noted significant progress, including the establishment of blood collection centers, alignment with FDA standards, piloting of hemovigilance systems, and capacity building. However, he pointed out challenges such as inadequate donor infrastructure and issues with cold chain management.
A representative from the National Petroleum Authority supported the FDA's regulatory oversight, emphasizing blood as an essential biological product requiring strict safety standards. Dr. Shirley Owusu-Ofori, CEO of the National Blood Service (NBS), highlighted the importance of public trust and stakeholder commitment in ensuring blood safety.
Stakeholders acknowledged that achieving a safe, sustainable, and internationally compliant blood system necessitates ongoing collaboration, investment in hemovigilance, stronger regulatory enforcement, and increased public participation in blood donation programmes. A participant emphasized the shared responsibility of ensuring safe blood, which ultimately saves lives.