by Brooke Bunch

Mario Grijalva, Ph.D., is making the world a better place.

Grijalva, an immunology professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, was part of an elite group of scientists recently called to Geneva, Switzerland, to develop a set of global guidelines for blood safety. Grijalva was invited to the World Health Organization Consultation on Development of Guidelines for Blood Transfusion Safety on Donation Testing for Transfusion-transmissible Infections, which took place Oct. 4–6.

“It’s what all the countries in the world should follow,” Grijalva says. “It’s a framework to develop a good, safe blood supply.”

One representative from each continent was invited to the conference. Grijalva was selected by the Pan American Health Organization for South America due to his efforts in continually working to improve the safety of the blood supply in Ecuador.

According to Grijalva, 43 percent of the world blood supply is not safe, noting the lack of proper testing and procedures in developing countries.

“Only developed countries such as the United States, Canada, European Union and Japan have good testing requirements,” he said. “However, the rest of the world, or 43 percent of the population, does not.”

Grijalva said there are several diseases that can be transmitted through blood, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, Chagas Disease and HTLV.

“Our goal is to prevent these diseases, and this will definitely help to do just that,” Grijalva says. “This will provide sound guidelines that can be applied in countries all over the world.”

Grijalva said the group discussed all aspects of blood safety and what procedures should be followed.

“These are policies that need to be adopted worldwide. This will help countries improve their procedures and give them the proper framework to follow.”

Grijalva said countries worldwide must require blood donors to fill out a questionnaire regarding behavior that would put them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and disease history prior to donating. Then countries must follow a strict protocol in testing the blood. If an infectious agent such as HIV is found, they have an obligation to report to and provide counseling and education for the donor on the disease.

“They have a responsibility not just towards the blood supply, but to the donor as well, and this is sometimes overlooked” he said.

Grijalva said he offered a unique perspective at the conference due to his experience working with both developed and developing countries.

“Most who participated had one-sided view,” he said. “They either had a developing-country mentality or a developed-country mentality. They didn’t understand each other because their worlds were so different. I was the bridge between them.”

Grijalva has done extensive blood work in Ecuador, continually evaluating the performance of blood banks to ensure safety.