Risk Factors of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among Blood Donors at Karongi Regional Centre for Blood Transfusion in Rwanda

BackgroundBlood transfusion saves human lives, but also it can be a route for Transfusion-Transmissible Infections (TTIs) including Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the risk factors associated with TTIs among blood donors at Regional Centre for Blood Transfusion (RCBT) of Karongi, Rwanda.MethodsThis was a retrospective cross-sectional study design conducted among 36,708 blood donors from 2015 to 2019. Data were extracted from the system known as eProgesaused and the outcome variable were TTIs including HBV, HCV and HIV (measured using Enzyme Immuno-Assay/Chemiluminescence Immunoassay) and syphilis (determined by Rapid Reagin Plasma). Descriptive statistics was computed to describe the characteristics of the blood donors. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were performed to assess the risk factors associated with TTIs. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe study found that the overall prevalence of TTIs was 2.1%, while the prevalences of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 1.3%, 0.4%, 0.06%, and 0.34%, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed that the factors associated with HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis were being male, age more than 25 years, being married, living in urban areas, first time blood donors and blood donors living in Rusizi, Rusizi, Nyamasheke and Karongi districts.ConclusionThis study revealed that the most frequent TTI was HBV among blood donors and the main risk groups were males, age group of 26-35 years, married and first time donors. Hence, while developing health policies to reduce the effects of HBV infection on safe blood transfusion, these study findings should be taken into account. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2023;6(2):143-153