Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 4390
Country/Region: Namibia
Year: 2007
Main Partner: World Health Organization
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: Multi-lateral Agency
Funding Agency: HHS/CDC
Total Funding: $400,000

Funding for Biomedical Prevention: Blood Safety (HMBL): $400,000

The World Health Organization received Track 1 funding beginning in FY04 to provide technical assistance to the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia (NAMBTS), Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), and Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP). Following a needs assessment and situation analysis in FY04, which identified several technical assistance needs in terms of policy, guidelines, and associated training, substantial progress was made in FY05. A long-term WHO technical advisor (TA) with extensive experience on blood safety was assigned to Namibia. The WHO's role is mainly to provide technical support while NAMBTS, MoHSS and NIP are the implementers of the program. The first national Blood Policy was drafted following an extensive consensus-building process and is under review by the MoHSS policy committee. A major challenge has been bringing the NAMBTS, MoHSS, and NIP together for the first time to deliberate on respective roles and responsibilities, and the policy development process greatly facilitated development of those relationships. The TA has now facilitated the organization of a working group of relevant stakeholders to develop a national 5-year strategic plan for blood safety.

Major achievements in 2006 included assisting with development and launching of national guidelines for appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products, done in collaboration with MoHSS and NAMBTS. Other major areas of emphasis in FY06 were approval and dissemination of the first National Blood Policy; finalizing the blood transfusion draft legislation, development of the first blood safety 5-year strategic plan; supporting blood collection points to increase donors; and technical assistance to facilitate training of NAMBTS, MoHSS, and NIP staff on their respective responsibilities in quality management, component production, counseling of clients; supervisory skills, and assessing the cost-effectiveness of localizing testing of donor blood for transfusion transmitted infections (TTI), currently all TTI screening is being done in South Africa. Major targets for next year will be continuing to support the role out of the stated programs to regional level and strengthening of all the systems including setting up data and information systems to assist with monitoring and evaluation, and haemovigilance.