The blood safety, laboratory and imaging programme provides technical support to countries in developing, reviewing and implementing national laboratory policies; developing national strategies for laboratory quality and regulation; ensuring rational selection and maintenance of health technology; and improving access to safe blood and blood products and better blood transfusion services. Low-income countries and countries in complex emergencies are a priority.

Some of the recent activities in the Region include:

performing practical training in surgical care at district level (Afghanistan)

establishing a blood transfusion training centre in Baghdad (Iraq)

working with the Government to pass a national transplantation law (Pakistan)

establishing the first national biosafety level 3 laboratory in the Medical Research Institute of Alexandria University (Egypt).