Blood saves lives, but ensuring a steady supply in remote UN missions has always been a challenge. Transport to some locations occurs every few weeks, making it difficult to respond rapidly to unforeseen circumstances, like mass casulaties. To address this, OSCM has launched the Walking Blood Bank Kit, a project that enables missions to collect blood donations from their own uniformed and civilian personnel. When blood is needed, pre-screened donors can be called upon to give, ensuring timely access. This initiative is more than a logistical solution. It is a lifesaving programme that adheres to strict international haemovigilance standards. Every step -collection, testing, storage, transport, transfusion, and disposal - follows UN protocols.
The Walking Blood Bank Kit initiative is funded by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund, through a grant by China.
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Latest News
Walking Blood Bank Kit Training at UNIFIL
In December 2025, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) hosted a groundbreaking pilot training on the Walking Blood Bank Kit, marking a significant step toward enhancing life-saving capabilities in austere and high-risk environments.
UN Launches Walking Blood Bank Kit Initiative
The United Nations has officially launched the Walking Blood Bank Kit Initiative, a groundbreaking project designed to ensure timely access to safe blood in peacekeeping missions worldwide. The launch, held at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, marked the start of two days of intensive training under the theme Life-Saving Kit in Action – Walking Blood Bank Training.
Walking Blood Bank Kit: A Lifesaving Initiative
In UN missions worldwide, the need for safe, timely blood transfusions is a constant reality—whether for peacekeepers injured in the line of duty or staff facing medical emergencies. To address this critical gap, OSCM has launched the Walking Blood Bank Kit—a groundbreaking project designed for the rapid establishment of blood bank operations and to ensure safe access to blood, when needed, in all UN missions.
Frequently Asked Questions
In line with the UN Blood Policy, the minimum testing requirements for donors are as follows:
· Hepatitis B (HBsAg)
· Hepatitis C (Anti-HCV)
· HIV I & II (Antibody + HIV Ag)
· Syphilis (Anti-treponemal antibodies, RPHA/TPHA)
· HTLV I & II (Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Viruses)
· Malaria – at least rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) for donors residing in or having traveled to endemic areas
· Chagas Disease – for donors residing in or having traveled to endemic areas
· Zika – for donors residing in or having traveled to endemic areas
No, these tests are not included in the kit. The WBB Kit supports the collection and transfusion of blood from pre-screened donors. Donors are screened for infectious diseases in advance and once deemed eligible, are included in the donor registry. When a Walking Blood Bank operation is activated, these pre-screened donors are called upon to donate blood.
Donor blood is prescreened at the time of sign-up, when individuals volunteer for donation at a UN clinic. Testing for infectious diseases is conducted by a UN medical clinician.
The UN has facilitated access to infectious disease testing reagents through its global system contracts, in accordance with the UN Blood Policy for donor screening.
Only pre-screened volunteers who meet the UN donor eligibility criteria and are registered in the donor registry can participate in a walking blood bank operation.
Walking blood bank operations are activated in response to urgent operational needs, such as medical emergencies, mass casualty incidents, or situations where routine blood supply is unavailable. Activation must be carried out by trained personnel in accordance with UN standard operating procedures and clinical governance requirements.
The workflow includes:
· Contacting pre-screened donors from the registry
· Blood collection following standard operating procedures and safety protocols
· Proper labeling and storage
· Transfusion to patients under clinical supervision
All steps follow UN and WHO guidance to ensure safety for both donor and recipient.
No. Operational use of the Walking Blood Bank Kit requires completion of appropriate training and adherence to UN policies, standard operating procedures and clinical governance requirements.
Operational use requires:
· Completion of UN training on blood collection, storage, and transfusion
· Familiarization with UN SOPs, clinical governance, and safety protocols
· Hands-on exercises and the upcoming e-learning modules
· Use of personal protective equipment
· Strict adherence to labeling, storage, and cold chain requirements
· Safe handling and disposal of sharps and biological waste
· Monitoring donors and recipients for any adverse events
The Walking Blood Bank Kit includes guidance for proper storage and transport of collected blood. All procedures must follow UN standard operating procedures and WHO standards to maintain blood viability until transfusion.
Regular inspection and maintenance are required per UN standard operating procedures. Consumables must be checked for expiration, integrity, and completeness. Any expired or damaged items should be replaced immediately to ensure readiness.
The kit is designed for field and austere environments. Extreme temperatures, lack of sterile conditions, or prolonged delays in transfusion may affect usability. Personnel should assess feasibility before deployment. The kit is not intended to be used in isolation and must always be deployed alongside appropriate medical capability (Doctor’s Medical Pack Level 1 or Level 2/3 facilities).
Operations are conducted under UN clinical governance and WHO transfusion safety guidance. Designated medical officers are responsible for oversight, safety, and reporting.
Missions are encouraged to submit questions related to the WBB Kit or practical training requirements to medicalsupportsection-unhq@un.org.
If a mission has piloted the use of the kit, we highly encourage sharing lessons learned, operational insights, or recommendations to support continuous improvement and broader implementation. Submissions should be sent to medicalsupportsection-unhq@un.org.
Yes. Missions can coordinate with UN medical support for training, exercises, or pilot programs to enhance operational familiarity with the Walking Blood Bank Kit.
No. Even in emergency situations, operational use of the Walking Blood Bank Kit must adhere to UN policies, standard operating procedures, and WHO transfusion safety standards. Use without proper procedures may compromise the safety of donors and recipients. Missions should ensure that at least the minimum trained personnel and required safety measures are in place before activating the kit in the field.