World Blood Donor Day
Today is the World Blood Donor Day. IPFA wants to recognize this special day and thank all who donate blood and plasma, and the institutions who carry out the tasks to make this happen.
WHO, as the coordinator of the annual World Blood Donor Day, this year uses the slogan “Give blood and keep the world beating”. They highlight the importance of blood and plasma donation:
“To ensure that everyone who needs safe blood has access to it, all countries need voluntary, unpaid donors who give blood regularly. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, despite limited mobility and other challenges, blood donors in many countries have continued to donate blood and plasma to patients who need transfusion. This extraordinary effort during a time of unprecedented crisis highlights the crucial role of well-organized, committed voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply during normal and emergency times.”
Plasma is a major component of blood and it is needed and used for transfusion and manufacturing of many life-saving medicinal products. Plasma is needed just as much as the whole blood to keep the world beating. It can save lives of patients who need the plasma proteins from the donators in the form of medicines to treat their disease, sometimes all along their lives, because they lack the specific plasma protein, or it is not functioning correctly.
IPFA continues its many activities in promotion and education of the importance of donation of plasma needed to manufacture, or as we call it fractionate, these medicines. People around the globe still need to learn more about the plasma derived medicines and their use, and that plasma donation is as important as donation of blood. We also want to enable that plasma which is collected through whole blood donations is actually used for manufacturing.
Plasma used for fractionation is never wasted, and keeps the world beating!