Demand to install advanced screening systems in blood banks in Kerala to detect infections

A growing number of individuals in Kerala are urging the installation of advanced screening systems in both government and private blood banks to detect infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, following reports of a surge in these diseases among college students across the nation. Organisations advocating for patients with blood disorders argue that blood banks have historically sourced blood mainly from college students, deeming them among the safest donor groups.

However, with thousands of patients reliant on regular blood transfusions for conditions like thalassemia, sickle cell disease, haemophilia, aplastic anaemia, leukaemia, and other blood disorders, the rising prevalence of viral infections among young donors has raised significant concerns, according to Kareem Karassery, president of the Blood Patients Protection Council, Kerala.

Health camps for HIV testing and counselling for students in engineering and degree colleges were recently launched in Karnataka, following reports of a rapid increase in HIV infections among youths aged 18-35, from 44,500 in 2023-24 to 66,600 by 2025-26. The report also highlights over 7,000 young people in the 18-25 age group in Karnataka diagnosed with HIV.

In Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, there have been cases of blood transfusion-related infections as well. The prevalence of thalassemia-infected children in Kerala who contracted Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C after receiving blood transfusions has been reported, though they are not disclosing their identities. An HIV-infected child recently underwent a bone marrow transplant in Bengaluru, which may take up to two years more to confirm a negative HIV status.

Karassery emphasizes that patients requiring lifelong blood transfusions are a particularly vulnerable group and appeals to the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mr. J.P. Nadda, to launch a nationwide awareness campaign on the prevention of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, with a specific focus on adolescents and college students.

He further recommends integrating information about blood-borne infections, their transmission modes, and preventive measures into the higher secondary school curriculum. Additionally, he calls for the establishment of nucleic acid testing (NAT) facilities in all government and private blood banks nationwide and the development of a national policy to provide financial compensation, lifelong medical care, and rehabilitation support to those who contract infections through blood transfusions.