Through continuous liaison with the scientific-technical sector, the Italian National Blood Centre (CNS):
- carries out research aimed at introducing continuous improvement systems for transfusion safety in three main risk areas: transmissible infectious diseases (HBV, HIV, HCV, syphilis, and emerging pathogens), transfusion-mediated immunological damage, and human error
- promotes technology assessment programmes on diagnostic methods and external quality assessment of diagnostic services applied in the TSs for the biological qualification of blood and blood components
- develops and applies risk-assessment methodologies for the analysis of adverse events that may have an impact on the quality and safety of blood and blood components in order to identify critical factors and to define and propose suitable corrective and preventive measures to the national blood system
- in conjunction with the other institutional actors involved, defines actions aimed at guarding against the effects on the blood system of any epidemic outbreaks triggered by emerging and re-emerging viruses (Chikunghunya, West Nile, Chagas, etc.)