Infection specific risk factors and ABO blood group associations among blood donors in northern and Bono East Ghana
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana
- 2Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
- 3Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Science, University for Development Studies
- 4Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University for Development Studies
- 5Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University for Development Studies
- 6Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, University for Development Studies
Abstract
Background Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) remain a substantial public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Most surveillance reports describe overall burden among blood donors, but determinants of individual infections are less well characterised. We describe the burden of HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis among donors in northern and Bono East Ghana and identify donor characteristics associated with each infection, with exploratory analysis of ABO and Rhesus blood groups. Methods We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of routine records from 3,348 blood donors with complete data, collected between 2017 and 2022 at six secondary-level hospitals across northern and Bono East Ghana. Separate logistic regression models were fitted for each infection. Sparse-data analyses (HCV, co-infections, HIV) were treated as exploratory. Results Among 3,348 donors (91.2% male; mean age 28.9 years), 495 (14.78%) were positive for at least one TTI. Syphilis was the most common (8.18%), followed by HBV (5.05%), HCV (2.21%) and HIV (0.72%). First-time donation was independently associated with HBV (AOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.53–5.41). Regional differences dominated the syphilis model, with markedly higher odds in the Upper West and Oti areas. Blood group AB was associated with HBV (AOR 3.34, p = 0.005) but this did not survive correction for multiple comparisons and is hypothesis-generating. A first time-by-residence interaction was detected (p = 0.004): first-time rural donors had the highest prevalence (22.5%) and repeat rural donors the lowest (1.0%). Conclusions TTI burden among donors was high and strongly patterned by donor type and region. First-time and rural donors, and the Oti area, carry a disproportionate share of infections and are the logical focus for donor-conversion and screening efforts. ABO findings are exploratory and do not support blood-group-based risk stratification.
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BibTeX
@article{salifu2026infection,
title = {{Infection specific risk factors and ABO blood group associations among blood donors in northern and Bono East Ghana}},
author = {Yula Salifu and Prosper Gyebuni and Torjim Salifu and Eleonora Bakintewune Wobi and Joseph Lasong and Julius Waamsasiko Adong and George Cudjoe and Claudius Elorm Wemegah and Williams Walana},
journal = {Discover Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s12982-026-03157-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-026-03157-6},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Infection specific risk factors and ABO blood group associations among blood donors in northern and Bono East Ghana
AU - Yula Salifu
AU - Prosper Gyebuni
AU - Torjim Salifu
AU - Eleonora Bakintewune Wobi
AU - Joseph Lasong
AU - Julius Waamsasiko Adong
AU - George Cudjoe
AU - Claudius Elorm Wemegah
AU - Williams Walana
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Discover Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12982-026-03157-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-026-03157-6
AB - Background Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) remain a substantial public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Most surveillance reports describe overall burden among blood donors, but determinants of individual infections are less well characterised. We describe the burden of HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis among donors in northern and Bono East Ghana and identify donor characteristics associated with each infection, with exploratory analysis of ABO and Rhesus blood groups. Methods We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of routine records from 3,348 blood donors with complete data, collected between 2017 and 2022 at six secondary-level hospitals across northern and Bono East Ghana. Separate logistic regression models were fitted for each infection. Sparse-data analyses (HCV, co-infections, HIV) were treated as exploratory. Results Among 3,348 donors (91.2% male; mean age 28.9 years), 495 (14.78%) were positive for at least one TTI. Syphilis was the most common (8.18%), followed by HBV (5.05%), HCV (2.21%) and HIV (0.72%). First-time donation was independently associated with HBV (AOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.53–5.41). Regional differences dominated the syphilis model, with markedly higher odds in the Upper West and Oti areas. Blood group AB was associated with HBV (AOR 3.34, p = 0.005) but this did not survive correction for multiple comparisons and is hypothesis-generating. A first time-by-residence interaction was detected (p = 0.004): first-time rural donors had the highest prevalence (22.5%) and repeat rural donors the lowest (1.0%). Conclusions TTI burden among donors was high and strongly patterned by donor type and region. First-time and rural donors, and the Oti area, carry a disproportionate share of infections and are the logical focus for donor-conversion and screening efforts. ABO findings are exploratory and do not support blood-group-based risk stratification.
SN - 3005-0774
ER -