How Nucleic Acid Testing can prevent blood infections — and save lives

Transfusion-transmitted infections cause preventable deaths — but what if we could detect them before blood is administered?

Thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder in which the body does not make enough hemoglobin, burdens too many families in the Asia-Pacific region. If both parents carry the thalassemia gene, the chances a child will be born with the disease are one in four⁽¹⁾.  Incidences are highest in East Asia: around 7 per 100,000 population⁽²⁾.

For Sangeeta Wadhwa, who lives with Thalassemia, her condition is never far from her mind.

She is a testament to resilience; at 47, she is a mental health counselor, runs a successful NGO, and serves as a vital voice for thousands of Thalassemia Major patients across India.

But every two weeks — 26 times a year — she needs a blood transfusion to survive. The fear of infection is ever-present.

“My sister, Anjali, and I were both born with thalassemia,” Sangeeta recounts. “We shared our dreams, our fears, and our transfusions. But she didn’t survive.”

Anjali was just 22 when she passed away. Her death wasn’t caused by thalassemia itself, but by a Transfusion-Transmitted Infection (TTI) from unsafe blood. It was a tragedy that should have never happened — a life taken by the treatment meant to sustain it. 

“Every time I go for a transfusion,” Sangeeta says, “there’s this voice asking, ‘Will this blood be safe? Will I be okay after the transfusion?’”

Advanced diagnostics can detect TTIs before they’re given to patients 

For patients who rely on transfusions from blood donors to survive, advanced molecular diagnostics can prevent a repeat of Anjali’s tragedy.Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) can screen donated blood at a molecular level, identifying viral infections like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C even during the ‘window period’ — the critical period between infection and the point at which standard serological tests can detect antibodies.

Early detection of TTIs means unsafe blood isn’t administered to patients — preventing avoidable deaths.

Patients need awareness and agency 

Sangeeta now passionately champions blood safety. She counsels others who live with her condition, educating them on the dangers of improperly screened blood. She empowers patients to be more confident when advocating for themselves in the clinic.

“I tell every patient I counsel to opt for NAT-tested blood,” Sangeeta states. “It’s not just another test. It’s the difference between peace of mind and lifelong regret. One additional layer of safety can mean the difference between hope and heartbreak.”

Closing the access gap saves lives 

But in blood banks across India, access to NAT remains highly unequal. Lives are still lost to preventable infections. Sangeeta calls on policymakers, health system leaders and key opinion leader clinicians to adopt two life-saving policy changes in tandem:

• Mandatory NAT Testing. Universal implementation of NAT across all blood banks in India — including in limited-resource settings, and remote and underserved communities — could save thousands of lives. The technology is proven; only an implementation gap remains.
  
• Accessibility and Affordability. Safe blood is not a luxury. Integrating lifelong thalassemia care, including NAT, into national health schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and PM-JAY can ensure everyone living with Thalassemia accesses the treatment they need — addressing health inequities between high and low-income families.
  

When Sangeeta lost her sister, she made a promise: Anjali’s story would not end in silence. And for the many thousands of people living with Thalassemia across India, her tragedy must not be in vain. The time to provide access to life-saving blood diagnostics for everyone — and protect more families from the pain of a preventable death — is now.