About the PNST
The National Blood Transfusion Safety Program (PNST) is a Central Directorate of the Ministry of Public Health and Population, established in 2004. It primarily played a normative role, regulating activities carried out in the field of blood transfusion safety, until 2019, which was marked by the departure of the Haitian Red Cross, which had been responsible for operations. Since then, the MSPP has entrusted it with managing the entire blood transfusion system.
The decree-law of October 13, 2020, in accordance with PAHO/WHO guidelines, established the creation of an autonomous body to manage all blood transfusion activities, named the “Organisme National du Sang et des Produits Sanguins (ONASAPS)” (National Blood and Blood Products Agency), whose implementation will lead to the replacement of the PNST.
Mission
- Implement the MSPP's policy on blood transfusion safety
- Guarantee the population quality blood and blood products, in sufficient quantity, whenever they are needed
- Periodically define achievable objectives and develop strategies to reach them
- Coordinate the work of the various partners involved in order to achieve the objectives set
Shared Values
- Empathy
- Commitment
- Solidarity
- Integrity
- Expertise
Vision
To implement an integrated, coordinated, high-performing, resilient, and sustainable national blood transfusion system, capable of providing blood and labile blood products in sufficient quantity throughout the country, meeting international norms and standards, and following risk-free clinical practices.
Responsibilities
- Establish programs to ensure the availability of blood and blood products;
- Update national regulations to ensure that the quality control and safety of blood and blood products, throughout the entire transfusion chain, meet internationally recognized standards;
- Establish a quality management system and Good Manufacturing Practices for the production of blood and blood products;
- Strengthen human resources through initial and continuing staff training, with the aim of guaranteeing the quality of transfusion services and blood products;
- Strengthen the Hemovigilance System to ensure the safe and rational use of blood products, guarantee traceability throughout the transfusion chain, and provide training to all personnel involved in blood transfusions;
- Guarantee reliable mechanisms for notifying blood donors who test reactive for at least one screening marker, and refer them to a care facility.
Our commitments to Haiti
100% voluntary donations
Achieve 100% voluntary, unpaid blood donation in Haiti and build a pool of regular donors across the country.
0% transfusion-transmitted infections
Reduce the rate of Transfusion-Transmissible Infections (TTIs) to 0% through systematic testing of every donation.
Blood available everywhere
Guarantee the availability, accessibility, and safety of blood products throughout the Haitian territory.
Strengthen the structures
Strengthen national blood transfusion structures and develop the hemovigilance system across the country.
Train professionals
Train healthcare professionals in the clinical use of blood and good transfusion practices.
Raise public awareness
Promote voluntary donation through national campaigns and mobile blood drives across the entire country.
25 centers across Haiti
The PNST relies on the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS), located in Turgeau, Port-au-Prince, and on a network of blood transfusion posts deployed across the country’s 10 departments.
In addition to its fixed centers, the PNST regularly organizes mobile blood drives in businesses, public institutions, universities, and communities to reach potential donors where they are.
Safety measures
- Systematic testing: HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, HTLV 1 and 2, malaria
- Malaria is endemic in Haiti: systematic screening of every donation
- Rigorous quality control at every step of the transfusion chain
- A hemovigilance system under development across the entire country
Meet our leadership
Dr. Ernst Noël has led the PNST since October 2008. A physician specializing in infectious diseases and a university professor, he has carried the vision of a strong Haitian blood transfusion system, accessible to all, for more than fifteen years.
They support the PNST's mission
The PNST works hand in hand with national and international partners committed to blood transfusion safety in Haiti.