Flemish Red Cross calls for plasma donations during Plasma Awareness Week
As part of Plasma Awareness Week, which takes place worldwide from 7 to 11 October, Red Cross Flanders wants to reach 1,000 plasma donations in one day on Wednesday 9 October. Blood plasma saves many lives, the organisation says, so donations are vital.
The Flemish Red Cross wants to use Plasma Awareness Week to draw attention to the crucial role of plasma donations. Plasma is essential because it is administered to people with clotting disorders or severe burns. It is also used to make life-saving medicines that boost or stabilise the immune system in the treatment of immune deficiencies and rare, life-threatening diseases.
"Demand for plasma is growing worldwide, but supply is lagging behind," says Red Cross spokesman Jan Poté. "Thousands of patients in Belgium depend on plasma medication every year to maintain their quality of life or even to survive. That is why the Flemish Red Cross stresses the importance of plasma donation and invites everyone to become a plasma donor."
"Demand for plasma is growing worldwide, but supply is lagging behind"
Every donor who donates at one of the 14 Red Cross Flanders donor centres in the coming week will receive a unique pin as a symbol of Plasma Awareness Week. On Wednesday 9 October, the organisation aims to reach a record number of 1,000 plasma donations.
"Although this is an ambitious goal, we see that only 0.5 per cent of Flemish people donate plasma, while 3 per cent regularly donate blood. So there is still a lot of room for growth," says Poté.
Appointments to donate plasma can be made via the Flemish Red Cross donor portal.
#FlandersNewsService | © GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP
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