Objectives: The present study aimed to gain more insight into, and summarise, blood donation determinants among migrants or minorities of Sub-Saharan heritage by systematically reviewing the current literature. Background: Sub-Saharan Africans are under-represented in the blood donor population in Western high-income countries. This causes a lack of specific blood types for transfusions and prevention of alloimmunisation among Sub-Saharan African patients. Methods/materials: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO and BIOSIS were searched for relevant empirical studies that focused on barriers and facilitators of blood donation among Sub-Saharan Africans in Western countries until 22 June 2017. Of the 679 articles screened by title and abstract, 152 were subsequently screened by full text. Paired reviewers independently assessed the studies based on predefined eligibility and quality criteria. Results: Of the 31 included studies, 24 used quantitative and 7 used qualitative research methods. Target cohorts varied from Black African Americans and refugees from Sub-Sahara Africa to specific Sub-Saharan migrant groups such as Comorians or Ethiopians. Main recurring barriers for Sub-Saharan Africans were haemoglobin deferral, fear of needles and pain, social exclusion, lack of awareness, negative attitudes and accessibility problems. Important recurring facilitators for Sub-Saharan Africans were altruism, free health checks and specific recruitment and awareness-raising campaigns. Conclusion: The findings of this review can be used as a starting point to develop recruitment and retention strategies for Sub-Saharan African persons. Further research is needed to gain more insight in the role of these determinants in specific contexts as socioeconomic features, personal histories and host country regulations may differ per country. © 2018 The Authors. Transfusion Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Blood Transfusion Society

needle fear personal discrimination Africa south of the Sahara African migrant inheritable blood disorder motivators blood type ethnic minorities

social exclusion Africa south of the Sahara refugee needle phobia hemoglobin blood level developing country reward alloimmunization minority group human Ethiopian ethnic group Developed Countries pain African American knowledge Blood Donors blood donor altruism high income country Humans migrant racism attitude Black person Minority Groups African Continental Ancestry Group patient referral inheritance Review awareness migration health care access hemoglobin patient comfort Transients and Migrants systematic review Fear blood transfusion