Prevalence and trend of HIV infection among voluntary blood donors in China since implementation of the Blood Donation Law: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Objective  In 1998, the Blood Donation Law was enacted in China in response to the outbreak of HIV endemic in central rural China as a result of unhygienic and commercial blood collection. This study aims to provide a first comprehensive review of available data on the prevalence, trend and other epidemiological characteristics of HIV infection among voluntary blood donors since 1998. Methods  Major English and Chinese databases were searched and a systematic review was constructed. Pooled infection rates by province and year were calculated using random‐effect or fixed‐effect models. Results  A total of 87 studies met our inclusion criteria. A total of 2573 HIV‐positive cases were identified among voluntary blood donors in the past 10 years; the pooled prevalence was 13.22/100 000, with a range of 0.74–125.97 per 100 000. Among the 24 provinces that reported yearly data, the prevalence of HIV increased from 5.62/100 000 to 28.90/100 000. The male‐to‐female ratio was 2.8; about 60% were below the age of 30 years. Conclusions  The prevalence of HIV in voluntary blood donors has risen steadily and fast. Efficient measures need to be taken urgently to prevent HIV test‐seeking through blood donor programmes, to promote voluntary blood donation in low‐risk groups and to enforce the Blood Donation Law strictly.