Academy
Training workshop report: World Hepatitis Day 2025
A three-day hands-on training workshop titled “Screening of Blood for Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTIs)” was organized from July 26-28, 2025, by RBC Mirpur in collaboration with ISBT Academy Support and BBMT-Pakistan. The event brought together national and international experts, healthcare professionals, and laboratory personnel to strengthen knowledge and practical skills for ensuring blood safety through effective TTI screening.
The primary objective of the workshop was to enhance the knowledge and practical competencies of healthcare professionals, particularly those engaged in transfusion medicine, in the prevention, detection, and management of transfusion-transmitted infections. By offering updated guidelines, promoting evidence-based practices, and nurturing an understanding of biosafety and screening protocols, the workshop aimed to contribute meaningfully to national efforts to eliminate hepatitis and improve transfusion safety.
Specific objectives included:
- Training the existing workforce in blood banks on the various screening techniques
- Educating participants on quality control criteria used in TTI screening laboratories;
- Providing an update on biosafety aspects during TTI screening;
- Raising awareness on hepatitis as part of World Hepatitis Day 2025 observance; and
- Emphasizing the importance of centralized screening in blood centres, a relatively new but essential concept for Pakistan.
Group Photograph of the participants, speakers, and organizers
The workshop was structured over three days, each addressing different aspects of blood screening, with a combination of presentations, practical training, and assessment. The workshop commenced with opening remarks by Amir Aziz, Medical Superintendent, DHQ Hospital, followed by an overview of the national blood safety scenario presented by Tariq Iqbal, Vice Chancellor of SZAB Medical University. Humayoon Shafique Satti discussed the V2V transfusion chain, while Prof. Syed Irfan elaborated on existing and emerging TTIs. An interactive pre-course assessment gauged baseline knowledge among participants.
Day 1 featured technical presentations on various screening assays including ICT, ELISA, CLIA, and NAT by Zahida Qasim, followed by disease-specific sessions on screening for Hepatitis B, C, and HIV. These were led by Akhlaaq Wazeer, Muhammad Saeed, and Saeed Ahmed, respectively. Practical hands-on sessions led by Abdel Ghany Morda from Cyprus enabled participants to gain direct experience in ICT testing for HBV, HCV, and HIV.
Raja Abrar Afzal giving an interview to Samaa TV after the Hepatitis Day Workshop on TTI Screening
Akhlaaq Wazeer, Consultant Microbiologist, RBC Mirpur, delivering a talk during the workshop
Day 2 opened with a recap of the first day’s key learnings. Presentations focused on screening for syphilis and malaria, routine and emergency screening protocols, and the national screening strategy. A highlight of the day was the continued practical sessions on ICT and ELISA techniques. The hands-on ELISA demonstrations provided vital insights into advanced laboratory testing procedures.
Organizers of the workshop
Participants of the workshop on the last day
Participants of the workshop
Javaid Usman, Consultant Microbiologist, handing over a souvenir to Ramla Shahid, Consultant Molecular Biologist
Day 3 delved into advanced concepts such as NAT versus ELISA/CLIA, blood quarantine procedures, quality assurance, and biosafety protocols. Renowned speakers, including Javaid Usman and Saira Karimi, shared their expertise. The final hands-on session focused on biosafety procedures and was followed by a post-course assessment to evaluate knowledge acquisition.
Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with remarks highlighting the practical value and scientific depth of the sessions. Nisar Ansar Abdali, State Health Minister, delivered the closing remarks and distributed certificates to the participants.
This workshop significantly enhanced the capacity of laboratory professionals and underscored the importance of safe blood screening practices in the prevention of hepatitis and other TTIs in Pakistan.
Rabeya Tariq and Jaweria Aftab, speakers of the workshop (with their souvenirs)
