Azerbaijan introducing NAT technology to ensure blood donation safety

To ensure the safety of donor blood and the early detection of HIV, hepatitis B, and C, the Republican Blood Bank has begun using NAT (nucleic acid testing) technology, said Novrasta Hajili, head of the Department for the Safety of Donor Blood and Its Components at the Republican Blood Bank.

Report quotes her as saying the NAT test is one of the most advanced diagnostic methods for ensuring the safety of blood and its components in modern transfusion medicine.

"By testing donor blood using NAT, the risk of transmitting infectious diseases that can be transmitted to patients through donor blood is significantly reduced. NAT technology is recognized by the US, the EU, and the WHO as the 'gold standard' for blood safety," she said.