In response to letters to the editor by Prof Mbanya and Dr Loua concerning our recent publication in TRANSFUSION, we are pleased to see that their data from Cameroon and Guinea fully confirmed our findings in Ghana, showing no significant difference in the prevalence of anti-HIV and a higher prevalence of HBsAg in first-time volunteers compared to replacement donors. This confirmation is particularly relevant since, for practical and economic reasons, most sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries continue to collect replacement donor blood while WHO and most Western leading transfusion organizations consider replacement/family donors a sub-optimal source of blood for carrying higher risk of viral infections.
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