June 25, 2020

EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety highlights importance of blood and plasma donations on WBDD

The EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides recently highlighted the importance of blood and plasma donations on the occasion of WBDD.
World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) was celebrated on June 14 and, ahead of it, the Platform of Plasma Protein Users (PLUS), the Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) and the European Plasma Alliance (EPA) wrote a join letter to Mrs Kyriakides suggesting that the communication efforts during this day should not only focus on blood but also on plasma donors. This would help recognise both types of donors and inform the general society about how important are both types of donations.

The letter was answered a few days before WBDD and announced the forthcoming publication of a statement from Commissioner Kyriakides highlighting the importance of both blood and plasma donations which can be found here. The letter also mentions that PLUS and other interested parties will soon be contacted by the Commission ahead of a planned revision of the blood, tissues and cells legislation.

IPOPI as a founding member organisation of PPTA looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with the European Commission in this vital health policy area for patients relying on life-saving plasma-derived medicinal products.