Endorsing the Santa Cruz Declaration: Strengthening Patient Blood Management Globally
WFSA’s Member Societies, Regional Sections and partners work together to strengthen Patient Blood Management policies and practices worldwide.
Patient blood management addresses the problems of anaemia, blood loss and coagulopathy. It is a patient-centred, systematic, evidence-based approach to improve patient outcomes by managing a patient’s own blood through diagnosis and aetiology-specific treatment of anaemia and preserving the patient’s own blood by minimising blood loss and bleeding while promoting patient safety and empowerment (WHO, 2021).
In 2010, PBM was endorsed by the World Health Assembly Resolution WHA63.12.
WHO updated its Guidance on implementing patient blood management in 2025.
As well as improving patient outcomes, analysis shows that it is a cost-effective resource resource-efficient process that reduces dependency on risky and complicated transfusions.
PBM improves patient outcomes while saving healthcare resources and reducing costs.
A universal approach to PBM
A milestone event came in October 2022, when WFSA Member Societies in Latin America signed the Santa Cruz Declaration. The declaration highlights the debilitating impact of iron deficiency, anaemia, bleeding, and coagulation disorders on both national public health services and the communities they serve.
In response, the declaration signatories call for the implementation of the Patient Blood Management principles in the perioperative period, through its three fundamental pillars:
- Detection and management of anaemia and iron deficiency
- Minimisation of blood loss and optimisation of coagulation
- Improvement and optimisation of physiological tolerance to anaemia
The declaration calls for stakeholders, including professional bodies and national governments to create and implement a standardised, sustainable, systematic, multidisciplinary and multi-professional policy aimed at preserving the patient’s own blood.
Download the Santa Cruz Declaration
To build the momentum behind this movement, WFSA is inviting Member Societies to endorse the Declaration by signing and sending us a letter of support. An editable letter of support is available for download.
Download a letter of endorsement template
Declaration endorsements
Listed below are the member societies and partners who have endorsed the Santa Cruz Declaration by submitting a letter of support. To join the below list please send your letter of support to sara.portugal@wfsahq.org.
| Country | Member Society |
| ALBANIA | Albanian Society of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists (ASAI) |
| ARGENTINA | Federación Argentina de Asociaciones de Anestesia, Analgesia y Reanimación |
| AUSTRALIA | Australian Society of Anaesthetists |
| AZERBAIJAN | The Azerbaijan Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care |
| BENIN | Societe Des Medecins Anesthesistes Reanimateurs Du Benin (SMARB) |
| BOLIVIA | Sociedad Boliviana de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Dolor |
| BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | Association of Anesthesiologists and Reanimathologists in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| BRAZIL | Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia |
| BULGARIA | Bulgarian Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| BURKINA FASO | Société d’Anesthésie, de réanimation et de Médecine d’Urgence du Burkina (SARMUB) |
| CANADA | Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society |
| CHILE | Sociedad de Anestesiología de Chile |
| CHINA | Chinese Society of Anaesthesiology |
| COLOMBIA | Sociedad Colombiana de Anestesiología y Reanimación |
| CONGO – BRAZZAVILLE | Republic of Congo – Brazzaville – SOCARU – Société Congolaise d’Anesthésie Réanimation Urgences |
| CONGO – DRC | Democratic Republic of Congo – Kinshasa – SARDC – Société d’Anesthésie – Réanimation de la République Démocratique du Congo |
| COSTA RICA | Asociación de Médicos Anestesiólogos de Costa Rica |
| COTE D’IVOIRE | Société Ivoirienne d’Anesthésie-Réanimation |
| CROATIA | Croatian Association of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine |
| CUBA | Sociedad Cubana de Anestesiología y Reanimación |
| CZECH REPUBLIC | Czech Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine |
| DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | Sociedad Dominicana de Anestesiología |
| ECUADOR | Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Anestesiología |
| EGYPT | Egyptian Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| EL SALVADOR | Asociación de Médicos Anestesiólogos de El Salvador |
| ETHIOPIA | Ethiopian Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| FIJI | Pacific Society of Anaesthetists |
| GEORGIA | Georgian Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care |
| GERMANY | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anaesthesiologie und Intensivmedizin e.V. |
| GHANA | Ghana Anaesthesiologists Society |
| GREECE | Hellenic Society of Anaesthesiology (HSA) |
| GUATEMALA | Asociación Guatemalteca de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Tratamiento del Dolor |
| HONDURAS | Sociedad Hondureňa de Anestesiología, Reanimacíon y Dolor |
| HONG KONG | Society of Anaesthetists of Hong Kong |
| HUNGARY | Hungarian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy |
| INDIA | Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| IRAN | Iranian Society of Anaesthesiologists and Critical Care |
| IRAQ | Iraqi Society for Anesthesia, Intensive Care & Pain Medicine |
| ITALY | Società Italiana di Anestesia Analgesia Rianimazione e Terapia Intensiva |
| JAPAN | Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists |
| JORDAN | Jordan Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care |
| KENYA | Kenya Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| KOSOVO | Kosovo Society of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists (KSAI) |
| LATVIA | Association of Anaesthesiologists-Reanimatologists of Latvia |
| LEBANON | Lebanese Society of Anesthesiologists |
| LIBYIA | Libyan Society of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Resuscitation |
| MALAYSIA | Malaysian Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| MALI | Société d’Anesthésie-Réanimation et Médecine d’urgence du Mali (SARMU/Mali) |
| MALTA | Association of Anaesthesiologists of Malta |
| MAURITANIA | Mauritanian Society of Anesthesia |
| MEXICO | Federacion Mexicana de Colegios de Anestesiologia A.C. |
| MOLDOVA | Society of Anaesthesiology and Reanimatology of the Republic of Moldova |
| MONGOLIA | Mongolian Society of Anesthesiologists |
| MOROCCO | Moroccan Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Critical Care (SMAAR) |
| MYANMAR | Myanmar Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| NEPAL | Society of Anaesthesiologists of Nepal (SAN) |
| NICARAGUA | Asociación Nicaraguense de Anestesiología y Reanimación (ANARE) |
| NIGER | Societé Nigerienne d’Anesthésie, de Réanimation et de Médecine d’Urgence |
| NIGERIA | Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists |
| NORWAY | Norwegian Association of Anaesthesiologists (NAF) |
| NORTH MACEDONIA | Macedonia Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| NEW ZEALAND | New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists |
| OMAN | Oman Society of Anesthesia And Critical Care (OSACC) |
| PAKISTAN | Pakistan Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| PALESTINE | Palestinian Society of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care |
| PANAMA | Sociedad Panameña de Anestesiología |
| PAPUA NEW GUINEA | Society of Anaesthetists of Papua New Guinea |
| PARAGUAY | Sociedad Paraguaya de Anestesiología |
| PERU | Sociedad Peruana de Anestesia, Analgesia y Reanimación |
| PHILIPPINES | Philippine Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| PORTUGAL | Sociedade Portuguesa de Anestesiologia |
| ROMANIA | Romanian Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care |
| RUSSIA | Russian Federation of Anaesthesiologists and Reanimatologists |
| SENEGAL | Societé Sénégalaise d’Anesthésie-Réanimation et de Médicine d’Urgence |
| SIERRA LEONE | Sierra Leone Society of Anaesthetists |
| SINGAPORE | Singapore Society of Anaesthesiologists (SSA) |
| SLOVAKIA | Slovak Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Medicine |
| SOUTH AFRICA | South African Society of Anaesthesiologists |
| SOUTH KOREA | Korean Society of Anesthesiologists |
| SPAIN | Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor (SEDAR) |
| SRI LANKA | College of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka |
| SRPSKA (REPUBLIC OF) | Association of Anesthesiologist, Reanimatologist and Intensivist |
| SWITZERLAND | Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Reanimation |
| SYRIA | Syrian Society of Anesthesiologists |
| TANZANIA | Society of Anaesthesiologists of Tanzania |
| THAILAND | Royal College of Anesthesiologists of Thailand |
| TUNISIA | Societé Tunisienne d’Anesthésie et de Réanimation (STAAR) |
| TURKIYE | Turkish Anaesthesiology and Reanimation Society |
| UKRAINE | Ukrainian Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care |
| UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND | Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) |
| UGANDA | Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda (AAU) |
| URUGUAY | Sociedad de Anestesiología del Uruguay |
| VENEZUELA | Sociedad Venezolana de Anestesiología |
| YEMEN | Yemeni Anaesthesiologist’s Society |
| ZAMBIA | Society of Anaesthetists of Zambia (SAZ) |
| Regional Sections | |
| ARS | African Regional Section |
| CLASA | Confederation of Latin American Societies of Anaesthesiology |
| ESAIC | European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care |
| PAFSA | Pan Arab Federation of Societies of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management |
| SAARC-AA | South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation – Association of Anaesthesiologists |
| International Organisations | |
| AWGE | Anemia Working Group – España (AWGE) |
| Critical Care Network Africa & Middle East | |
| EUPSF | European Patient Safety Foundation |
| Foundation for Health, Patient Safety and Patient Blood Management | |
| GAfPA | Global Alliance for Patient Access |
| IFPBM | International Foundation for Patient Blood Management |
| KPBM | Korean Society for Patient Blood Management |
| Lifebox | |
| NATA | Network for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management, Haemostasis and Thrombosis (NATA) |
| SABM | Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management |
| SEMICYUC | Spanish Society of Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units |
Learn more about WFSA’s Patient Blood Management Initiative.
