Dr Sunita Dube – The Metrognome

Youngsters are donating blood more than ever before

Young people are considered ‘safe donors’ for others. Hearteningly, the numbers of young blood donors in the country are increasing.

by Dr Sunita Dube, Chairperson, MedscapeIndia

Safe blood donors are the cornerstone of a safe and adequate supply of blood to the needy. The safest blood donors are the youngsters from the low-risk populations. Safe blood saves lives – but, for too many patients across the country whose survival depends on blood transfusion, blood transfusion is either not available or not safe. However, one can witness a change in the scenario with an increasing number of youngsters donating their blood on regular basis. These youngsters are quite knowledgeable when it comes to the process of blood donation and post-blood donation care.

Statistics say that accidents, diseases, surgeries and deliveries account for loss of a large number of precious lives due to non-availability of blood. In order to meet the growing requirements, organisations conducting blood donation camps should aim to initiate the youth into voluntary blood donation. Evidence shows that the prevalence of infection with HIV, hepatitis viruses and other transfusion-transmissible infections is invariably lowest among voluntary unpaid donors who give blood for purely altruistic reasons.

Voluntary young donors are more likely to be honest in answering questions about their health and lifestyle that help to screen those at risk of carrying these infections. We should aim at catching them young so that they become our lifelong blood donors and end up being centurion donors. There is an urgent need to organise planned programs to create awareness amongst the country’s population to ensure regular supply of good quality blood – disease free blood. Awareness also needs to be created to help the community understand the advantages of blood donation.

We have been organising blood donation camps on a regular basis. Nearly, 50 to 60 per cent of our donors are youngsters. MedScapeIndia also gives adequate attention to donor care, effective communication between blood centre staff and blood donors and initiatives for retention of voluntary blood donors.

Blood donation activity requires trust and public confidence. It is only through the provision of a quality blood service that the confidence can be built amongst the people. World Blood Donor Day on June 14 is therefore a reminder about the importance of resources needed to help address specific responsibilities of blood donation programs.

(Picture courtesy www.hindustantimes.com. Image used for representational purpose only)

Truck drivers at most risk of AIDS

Low awareness, not knowing that they are carrying the virus results in them infecting at least five others, say doctors.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It has been known for long that the most vulnerable-to-disease people in society are usually those who are out on the road for work. And when the disease is something as serious as HIV or AIDS, truck drivers are at the highest risk of infection.

The Mumbai-based Medscape India conducted an awareness interaction for truck drivers early this week, in which there were 75 participants. Says Dr Sunita Dube, Chairperson, Medscape India, “A large percentage of our truck drivers and their helpers are infected with AIDS and there is an urgent need to create awareness among this community to check the spread of the fatal disease. What we found was that most of the participants had only a faint idea of what the disease was, and how much at risk they were.”

Dr Rahul Mishra, HIV/ AIDS Consultant, Medscape India, adds, “As per our study, only two percent of them know the difference between the HIV and AIDS.” Medscape is currently running a ‘Zero AIDS among truck drivers’ initiative.

Dr Dube contends that the basic risk factor stems from truckers and their helpers having easy access to commercial sex workers. This, combined with the fact that several of them still do not use condoms, was leading to higher numbers of infection among this community. “There was a transporter who participated in the interaction, and who said that most truck drivers are not able to resist going to sex workers, because of long periods of abstinence,” Dr Dube says.

Another interesting trend among many truck drivers is that they find the idea of using condoms either amusing or appalling. “Most of them are not even aware that they are carrying the disease, and if afflicted, they may go for check ups for such symptoms as persistent cough, for example. Since the disease goes undetected till the final stages, the problem of undetected cases is compounded because one trucker may account for five more undetected HIV and AIDS cases, from route to spread. Hence, there is a need for compulsory periodic testing of truck drivers for HIV and AIDS, apart from providing free condoms at petrol pumps and dhabas.

“But some of them were open to the idea of carrying a condom kit the way one would carry a first aid box. Even their wives are not much aware of AIDS and how it can spread through unprotected sex, because there is not much anti-AIDS advertising happening on TV or radio throughout the year – it happens only when December 1 (World AIDS Day) approaches.”

(Picture courtesy AP. Picture used for representational purpose only.)