An overview analysis of blood donation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

his article provides an update on the current status of blood supply in Iran. Iran is a large country with an area of over 1,648,000 km. It is comprises of 28 provinces, 282 districts, 724 cities, 742 towns, and over 2260 villages. The population is estimated to be more than 67 million, with 50.4% under the age of 19 years, and 4.4% over 65 years. The population growth rate is 1.41%. The safety and adequacy of blood supply depend on the commitment of each national health authority to the establishment of a well organized, nationally coordinated blood donation program. This requires the official recognition of a specific organization with the sole responsibility of blood transfusion services, an adequate budget, and a national blood policy and plan supported by a legislative and regulatory framework that governs all activities. The Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) was established in May 1974 and is a nonprofit organization, attached to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. From the onset, its mission has been to ensure effective and safe transfusion therapy throughout the country, with the objective of reaching the national selfsufficiency level. It is governed by a Supreme Council, which is comprises of five experts in hematology and related fields, appointed by the Minister of Health. The managing director, elected by the Supreme Council, ensures the proper implementation of the latter decisions. The financial resources of the IBTO are covered by the budget allotted to the IBTO by the government, as well as financial supports received from public and legal entities. IBTO is comprised of 30 functional regional centers distributed as a network across the country, active in donor recruitment, blood collection, component preparation, blood screening, storage, and distribution. Nine of the said centers are “educational,” and active in the field of education, research, and training of transfusion medicine, in addition to their routine activities. IBTO is responsible for establishing the National Blood Program, supported by the government. Blood collection is anticipated to come from voluntary, nonpaid basis and self-sufficiency is aimed at the provincial level. One of the key elements in donor screening is proper evaluation of donor’s medical history. The medical history is designed to identify potential donors, who are engaged in behaviors that put them in the high-risk category. Before dispatching, every single unit of blood is tested according to the set standards to maximize safety of the blood. The aim of this study is to report on the activities of IBTO during one year.