Albania

The blood transfusion service in Albania is coordinated by the National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTC) in Tirana, which operates under the Ministry of Health and is responsible for the overall technical governance, quality assurance, and safety of the national blood supply.

The NBTC serves as the central authority for:

• National policy implementation and regulatory oversight
• Donor selection, recruitment, and management strategies
• Centralized donor testing, including serology, nucleic acid testing (NAT), and immunohematology
• Quality assurance, hemovigilance, and professional training across the country

At the operational level, the system includes a network of 31 hospital-based blood banks, consisting of:

• 5 blood banks located in university hospitals in Tirana under direct supervision of NBTC
• 26 blood banks distributed across regional and district hospitals nationwide

Hospital Blood Banks (HBBs) are responsible for:

• Blood collection and local donor mobilization
• Storage and distribution of blood components
• Compatibility testing and patient-focused immunohematology
• Support of clinical transfusion practice within hospitals

Albania has an estimated population of approximately 2.4 million inhabitants. In 2025, a total of 40,818 blood donations were collected, this corresponds to approximately 17 donations per 1,000 population.

In addition, approximately 70–80% of collected blood is processed at the NBTC, while the remaining 20–30% is processed at hospital blood banks, enabling a balanced model that combines centralized efficiency with decentralized responsiveness to clinical needs.
A key feature of the Albanian system is the centralization of donor testing at the NBTC, ensuring standardized, high-quality screening of all donations.
Since 2021, a national informatics system supports the service by ensuring a unified donor database and full traceability of blood components.
Overall, the Albanian transfusion service ensures nationwide coverage, high safety standards, and alignment with European practices through a coordinated and integrated system.