National Health Mission (NHM) of UP and Odisha are collaborating with National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) to strengthen Blood services in their states . In this endeavour, NIB will be providing expertise and facilities to train the manpower of the Blood banks in these states.

The collaboration would bring about implementation of External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS), facilitate in organization of CME for clinical service providers and implementation of Hemo-Vigilance programme in the state of Orissa.
This would also provide Haemovigilance training to Blood Bank Officials (BBO)/Clinicians/Donors), implementation of EQAS for Transfusion Transmitted Infections (TTIs), Blood Group Serology, Quality management Systems(ISO17025) in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This programme will also provide training of Drug Inspectors/BBOs of the state of UP District wise for uniform inspection of Blood Banks as per guidelines/SOPs.

Haemovigilance is a set of surveillance procedures covering the entire blood transfusion chain intended to collect and assess information on unexpected or undesirable effects resulting from the therapeutic use of blood components, and to prevent their occurrence or recurrence. Signaling a major boost to the Haemovigilance Programme of India (HvPI), NIB is the nodal agency to implement the plan.

HvPI at the national level was launched by NIB and NIB is also serving as the national co-ordinating centre (NCC) of HvPI in medical institutions within the country to track adverse reactions associated with blood transfusion and blood product administration. The programme has till date trained over 4800 participants through the CMEs. During CMEs, hands on training on Haemo-Vigil software was imparted to the participants with reference to uplinking Haemovigilance Data in transfusion reaction reporting form (TRRF) via Haemo-Vigil software.

With 236 centres located in healthcare institutions and blood banks registered under the programme, data is collected on blood transfusion related adverse reactions through a specialised software. Data is currently reported by blood banks on voluntary basis by offering training through Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes in different regions of the country.

HvPI aims to identify trends in adverse reactions and events, thereby to form transfusion policy, target areas for improvement in practice, stimulate research, raise awareness of transfusion hazards, give an early warning of new complications to improve safety of transfusion for patients.

NIB is an autonomous institution under the Union health ministry which ensures quality of biologicals and vaccines in the country available through domestic manufacturers or imports. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in April 2005. The NHM focused especially on 18 states, with poor infrastructure and low public health. The Union Cabinet vide its decision dated 1st May 2013 has approved the launch of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as a sub-mission of an over-arching NHM, with NRHM being the other sub-mission of National Health Mission.