While transfusion facilities and education programs continue to expand in the developing world, the current status of transfusion practices and training varies. Such variability in resource-limited settings can have a significant impact on the transfusion effectiveness and safety. This session will discuss differences in transfusion practices across continents and between selected countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and how these practices affect patient safety. The session will also discuss possibilities for enhancing transfusion effectiveness and safety across these settings, through the implementation of acceptable transfusion standards. The role of government agencies, such as the US governments PEPFAR program, in enhancing transfusion practices and safety will also be discussed by faculty with field experience in developing countries.