IPFA and AATM Partnership
IPFA and AATM partner to increase access to plasma-derived medicines in Asian countries
We are delighted to announce a partnership between International Plasma and Fractionation Association (IPFA) and Asian Association of Transfusion Medicine (AATM). The organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the purpose of strengthening patient access to plasma-derived medicines in Asian countries.
Both organisations have a mission to support establishment of safe local blood supply, a cornerstone for collection of plasma of high quality that can be used for manufacturing into life-saving medicines. The arrangements for plasma collection and its manufacture by fractionation into products such as coagulation factors, immunoglobulin or albumin, need to be done within legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure the safety and quality of the products. Such systems can only be built with a strong commitment from national governments. At the same time, patient needs for diagnostic services and therapeutic treatments have to be part of and supported by national and public health care systems.
With this collaboration, IPFA and AATM will strive to arrange for education, training, discussion and advocacy directed to the many stakeholders involved in the plasma chain. The need for support and education in Asian countries varies considerably depending on local capacities, economic situation and maturity of blood supply and health care systems. However, a common denominator is that there is need for knowledge and long-term commitment and planning to reach the goal of better patient treatment. With our joint activities, we hope to address both local or regional needs for countries to find solutions fitting their needs.
“Our support in the Asian countries goes back many years, and we have arranged several successful Workshops on Plasma Quality and Supply in the region”, says Leni von Bonsdorff, Executive Director at IPFA. “We are thrilled with the new collaboration with AATM. Local champions and active groups are key to drive and implement actions and changes. We believe that together with AATM, we can connect with local experts, decision makers and organisations and continue the important task to build better systems for patient needs.”
AATM is a trans-national organization having branches (Country chapters) in 24 member countries. With some exceptions, most of our member countries do not have established plasma sourcing processes. Quite a few countries are discarding precious human plasma due to lack of (contract) fractionation and or regulatory processes for plasma sourcing. Core area of AATM is transfusion medicine and there is a lack of expertise in plasma fractionation. Due to the new relationship developed with IPFA, blood transfusion services (BTS) in the region will benefit greatly with expert guidance for plasma fractionation and sourcing. Both organizations will try to bring awareness about PDMP among stakeholders with the goal of increasing patient access to plasma-derived medicines in the Asian region.
The International Plasma and Fractionation Association (IPFA) is an association representing organisations engaged in fractionation of plasma into plasma-derived medicines as well as in the collection or testing of plasma for fractionation purpose. IPFA´s members are from the not-for-profit sector and include organisations with a clear public mission. Members come from all over the world and represent manufacturers (fractionators) who produce the plasma products, blood establishments collecting plasma and institutions who carry out clinical quality testing of plasma.IPFA drives the interests of its members to maintain a high involvement of the not-for profit sector to enable and support the supply and patient access to plasma-derived products within a public health context, and with a strong link to the collection and supply of safe and high-quality plasma from domestic donations. IPFA encourages and advises its members and other interested parties on ways to establish and increase their collection of plasma for fractionation, with a strong emphasis on the principle of donation without financial gain, of ensuring donor health protection, while at the same time reaching the quality requirements needed for plasma to be used for manufacturing purposes. IPFA represents its members in consultations and interactions with competent authorities, medicines agencies, regulatory agencies, political officials, patient organisations, donor associations, commercial counter parts and other interested stakeholders in the field.
As an international and outreaching objective, IPFA advocates for and encourages the development of a plasma strategy by the public sector in every country. A plasma strategy is an integral part of a country’s public health effort. It is needed to enable robust, safe supply and equitable patient access to life-saving plasma-derived medicines, while ensuring sufficient resources in plasma to produce them. By strengthening the contribution and ability of the public sector to collect plasma within their communities, and by finding suitable ways to organise its fractionation, countries and regions can increase the strategic independence of these vital medicines in a way which is aligned with wider public health policies and strategies. In pursuit of this goal IPFA collaborates with and contributes to the work of regional and international organisations such as WHO, ISBT, EBA and other stakeholders.
IPFA arranges scientific and educational events and workshops related to the field of plasma quality, its collection and supply for fractionation, some of which have become regular annual events – for example:
- IPFA and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (PEI) together arrange annually since 1994 an International Workshop on Surveillance and Screening of Blood-borne Pathogens, internationally well-known, regularly attended and acknowledged by experts in the field.
- Regional events on Plasma Strategies including Plasma Collection, Quality and Supply supporting the national and regional strategies, also in low-middle-income-countries.
AATM is committed to establish inter organizational relationship among various scientific Societies / Associations related to Transfusion Medicine in Greater Asian countries. AATM also works with various national governments, government organizations for the development of the standards of Blood Transfusion Services (BTS) in the region.AATM is working closely with many international scientific organizations like Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB); International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT); African Society of Blood Transfusion (AfSBT); National Research Laboratory (NRL)-Australia; Indonesian Red Cross/ Crescent Society (PMI); Banc de Sang i Teixits, Spain; Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) and other organizations from time to time upon existing MoU. It has established academic relationship with various National governments from Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Mongolia; Sri Lanka as per mutual understanding under a signed MoU to develop blood services in respective countries. AATM is a recipient of ERASMUS+ project by European Union as a part of consortium and also completed projects offered by World Health Organization (SEARO) and other international organizations.
AATM is taking an active interest in continuing education and training to keep abreast with recent developments for AATM members and workers in Blood Transfusion Services of member countries. It has fourteen active quality and manpower development programs for member countries. These programs are regular webinars; wet workshops/ hands on training; AABB Quality certificate; eight online Working Groups; online advance certificate of Transfusion Medicine (ACTM); publication of a peer reviewed journal (GJTM) and newsletter; blood donor counsellor program; full board fellowship program; HLA & transplant immunology; EQAS program; research programs; transfusion nurse program; dynamic website and AATM consultancy program.
Read more about AATM on www.aatmweb.org or contact aatm.int@gmail.com