Breakthrough WHO initiative launched in Europe to engage and empower civil society organizations in health emergency responses

Throughout the pandemic, civil society organizations (CSOs) have been crucial partners in reducing the impacts of COVID-19 on individuals and communities, particularly those in hard-to-reach vulnerable groups. The direct participation of CSOs – from planning through to the implementation and evaluation stages of preparedness, readiness and response – has also helped reinforce the actions of governments and has been a key factor in encouraging citizens to comply with guidance.

Now, to engage and empower CSOs, WHO/Europe has launched an initiative that will help them further contribute to the current COVID-19 response and benefit the future readiness and preparedness of countries and communities by:

• strengthening community readiness and resilience to emergencies
• connecting vulnerable communities to services
• enhancing inclusive governance.

Speaking at the online launch event, Dr Dorit Nitzan, Regional Emergency Director for WHO Europe, said, “The CSO initiative kicking off today is unprecedented and can be a real game changer in the way WHO, governments and communities address this and future emergencies.”

Putting a whole-of-society approach into practice

This initiative will be directly investing in 11 selected CSOs within 8 Member States in the WHO European Region to demonstrate how small investments in CSOs can have a meaningful impact.

The selected CSOs, which work directly with refugees and migrants, Roma populations, people living with disabilities, older people, religious leaders, women, and communities impacted by conflict, have a track record of working with international organizations and donors to make a difference for the communities they represent, by conducting needs assessments, addressing service disruption, and creating platforms for the inclusion of communities.

Some initiatives across the 8 projects include:

• piloting remote access to educational services for children and youth with disabilities in Greece;
• establishing health mediators for refugees and migrants in Serbia;
• involving retired health workers in coordinating the COVID-19 response in Krygyzstan;
• creating community boards for Roma populations in North Macedonia;
• fostering dialogue with communities impacted by conflict in Ukraine;
• engaging religious leaders from different faiths to encourage communities to get vaccinated in Israel;
• enhancing the skills of health workers in the areas of professional burnout and domestic violence in Georgia; and
• building the capacities of local authorities to engage refugee and migrant communities in Slovenia.

Increasing community ownership

As part of this initiative, the organizations will be piloting new bottom-up approaches, in collaboration with governments, to give communities a say in plans that affect their lives and to ensure they are involved in policy-making processes – an important part of a shift from community engagement to community empowerment.

With CSO participation, Member States can expect an increase in community resilience leading to a better implementation of national strategic preparedness and response plans for future emergencies.

WHO/Europe will be working directly with CSOs and empowering them to be agents of change by:

• establishing/leveraging trust relations between CSOs and communities, including when confidence in authorities is low;
• understanding and addressing people’s perceptions and concerns;
• reconciling science and society/religion (i.e. making sure that messages and measures are both scientifically sound and culturally acceptable);
• accessing vulnerable groups and providing them with relevant public health advice;
• mitigating fear and stigma for certain groups or measures;
• building community capacity for higher community resilience; and
• fostering inclusive governance that embeds the needs of community groups into emergency preparedness, readiness and response.

Funded through the UN Foundation and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, the pilot initiative will run until December 2021.

Strengthening health system preparedness for mass casualty incidents: first WHO Academy learning programme in Europe

A hospital room, previously used for meetings and presentations, was transformed into a stage for a fictional re-enactment of an emergency unit during the hectic few minutes after the announcement of a mass casualty incident (MCI).

Dozens of wounded patients, busy hospital hallways, attempts to coordinate, and insistent reporters trying to catch a glimpse of the situation in the emergency unit, all came to life in tabletop exercises, as health workers from 4 major hospitals in Greece participated in the first European mass casualty management (MCM) in-person learning programme, which took place in Athens, Greece, under the supervision and coordination of members of the WHO Academy.

“This is an excellent course which is both interactive and practical, with a theoretical foundation,” said Marina Kalogridaki, Director of the emergency unit at KAT Attica General Hospital in Athens. She emphasized the value of the course, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that implementing scientifically based action plans would certainly benefit the country’s National Health System.

Innovative and interactive

This WHO Academy programme provided comprehensive training for mass casualty preparedness, response and recovery. Specifically, the programme addressed the organization and actions of staff working in emergency units, with a focus on the first 30 minutes after the announcement of an MCI. Using an innovative, highly interactive methodology, with an emphasis on experiential learning, the programme incorporated concepts of adult learning, teamwork, roleplay, the acquisition of new competencies and behaviour change.

Dr Eleni Pavlidou, Director of the emergency unit at the General University Hospital of Patras, said she appreciated watching younger staff members, particularly those who had not previously participated in similar training, eagerly engage in the various activities. She noted that having action plans, distinctly defined roles and clear guidelines would greatly help in training the rest of the staff in her department and perhaps even the entire hospital, while improving the hospital’s response to unpredictable events.

Emergency unit teams from 4 different hospitals in Athens and Patras participated in this 4-day session: the Attikon University Hospital, the KAT Attica General Hospital, the General University Hospital of Patras, and the 251 Air Force General Hospital. The session took place on 24–28 May in the Attikon University Hospital.

Programme outcomes

This learning programme aims to develop both individual and team-based competences related to MCM, as follow:

• prepare for, respond to and recover from MCIs with a coordinated collective approach, based on the emergency unit’s MCM plan;
• describe the roles of all staff working at the emergency unit during an MCI, including the emergency unit’s Incident Command Team members, triage staff, and Green and Red Zone staff;
• perform own role as an emergency unit team member during preparedness, response and recovery phases in tabletop exercises on own hospital map;
• work collaboratively as a team and manage stress during an MCI;
• manage information, and internal and external communication during an MCI;
• manage patient flow during an MCI;
• mobilize the equipment, supplies and logistics required during an MCI;
• perform administrative and clinical procedures during an MCI;
• control crowds and manage conflict;
• analyse the team processes for responding to MCIs and improve the emergency unit’s MCM plan.

This was also an opportunity for the participants to share best practices and challenges, and recognize the different levels of preparedness between hospitals.

Building on success

The WHO Country Office in Greece coordinated the programme, in collaboration with the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, under the supervision of Dr Emmanouil Pikoulis, Professor of General Surgery. Dr Pikoulis commented: “The programme of the WHO Academy is of a profoundly practical nature and is designed in a way which allows it to be easily adapted to the needs of the hospitals that are being trained, which is the reason for its success”.

Following the completion of the training, the WHO Academy members, along with representatives of the WHO Country Office in Greece, met with an official from the Directorate of Operational Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies at the Ministry of Health, to present the programme and propose a country-wide implementation for all hospitals across Greece.

“This training was innovative and came at an opportune moment, as COVID-19 has highlighted the need to increase capacity for emergency preparedness,” commented WHO Representative in Greece, Dr Marianna Trias. “The WHO Country Office in Greece is very happy to facilitate the rollout of such an important course. We hope that this will be the start of a series of WHO Academy MCM trainings across the WHO European Region, which will elevate the provision of emergency services in a uniform way, building a common base for understanding and for knowledge exchange.”

European Region needs to scale up efforts to prevent violence against children, new report says

In the WHO European Region, 1 in every 3 children experiences some form of violence in their lifetime. More efforts are required to coordinate activities by health, social welfare, education, justice and other sectors to collectively ensure that children have safe and nurturing childhoods, but a new report launched today by WHO/Europe says countries are well placed to achieve this.

“The European regional status report on preventing violence against children 2020” describes the extent to which governments in the Region are implementing the INSPIRE technical package, a set of 7 strategies for preventing and responding to violence against children. The report is based on a detailed survey completed by government-appointed national data coordinators in 45 of the 53 European Member States, representing almost 90% of the Region’s 900 million people.

A recent meta-analysis showed that, globally, at least 1 billion children experienced violence in the past 12 months. In the European Region, that is 12% of children aged 2–17 years (15.2 million children). The reasons behind these numbers are many and varied, but gender inequalities, harmful use of alcohol and the undermining of children’s rights are some of the most important and impactful contributors to this violence.

“In our efforts to end violence against children, we are currently at a tipping point. On one side of the scale, we have the heartbreaking situation that 1 in 3 children in the Region experience some form of interpersonal violence during their childhood,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge.

“On the other side are our tools and strategies to measure, advocate, prevent and respond to violence, the like of which we have never had before. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.2, the INSPIRE technical package and clinical guidelines for health-sector responses together make breaking the cycle of violence all the more achievable,” Dr Kluge emphasized.

A challenging scenario

The new report, which addresses child maltreatment, youth violence and intimate partner violence, shows that, while progress is being made in the Region, efforts still fall short of what is needed to eliminate violence against children by 2030, the target set by SDG 16.2.

It is estimated that in 2017 over 1000 children aged 0–17 years in the Region died due to homicide and assault. Based on the most recent available data, homicides of children aged 0–14 years decreased by 13.6% between 2010 and 2015. The 2017 homicide rate in the Region was 0.31 per 100 000 children aged 0–14 years.

However, inequalities persist across the Region. Rates are almost twice as high in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (0.43 per 100 000 children aged 0–14 years) as in countries of the European Union (0.26 per 100 000 children aged 0–14 years).

The report also documents the prevalence of nonfatal violence against children, which ranges from 9.6% for sexual abuse (5.7% for boys and 13.4% for girls), 22.9% for physical abuse and 16.3% for physical neglect, to 18.4% for emotional neglect and 29.6% for emotional abuse. From this data, it is estimated that at least 55 million children of the Region have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime.

Increases in the perpetration of violence against children are being reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures, lockdowns, physical distancing and their associated mental health consequences for families have put many children at greater risk of violence at a time when mechanisms and opportunities for them to seek help have become more limited.

The report highlights the urgent need for extra vigilance in the detection and referral of violence against children and support to families in need.

The way forward

Government officials have reported on the many actions being undertaken in their countries and have assessed whether these efforts are adequate to the needs and experiences of their children. Traditionally, the efforts of health, social welfare, justice and other systems have focused on responding to violence against children, but progress has also been made in implementing public health approaches to preventing violence before it occurs.

The implementation of the 7 INSPIRE strategies – on implementation and enforcement of laws; norms and values; safe environments; parent and caregiver support; income and economic strengthening; response and support services; and education and life skills – has been key.

However, INSPIRE strategies should be better integrated into existing national frameworks and more widely supported by governments in order to end all forms of violence against children.

On 31 May 2021 at the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly, Member States adopted a milestone resolution on scaling up health sector actions for the prevention of and response to violence against children. The European Region showed its leadership with more than 30 countries, including Member States of the European Union, cosponsoring the resolution.

WHO/Europe calls on countries to strengthen legislation and enforcement as well as to review national action plans and ensure they are fully funded. A majority of countries do have laws against violence against children and laws restricting access to alcohol and firearms, but these are often inadequately enforced.

In conclusion, the report states that countries should place the prevention of violence against children at the heart of health, social welfare and other policy platforms.

New WHO/Europe information series highlights the transformation of primary health care during COVID-19

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, primary health care (PHC) systems in the WHO European Region have met the unprecedented surge in needs, with several countries responding by accelerating long-standing reforms and showing different degrees of adaptation and transformation in PHC. The WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care has now launched a new information series that highlights this transformation. Pragmatic, country-specific and action-oriented, the new PHC Country Vignettes will contribute to cross-country exchange of experiences and perspectives.

“The new Country Vignettes will shine a spotlight on the untold story of primary health care transformation during the pandemic,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge. “The country-specific stories showcase pioneering approaches that have accelerated reforms across our Region, and clearly reflect the European Programme of Work, which is the roadmap for WHO/Europe and its 53 Member States for meeting expectations about health.”

Each Country Vignette will highlight the motivation for the chosen direction, describe the transformation that has taken place in the PHC system, highlight early achievements and their sustainability, and discuss lessons learned for implementation in other national contexts.

“Our goal is to inspire action and accelerate change by telling stories of transformation that took place during these very difficult times,” said Dr Melitta Jakab, Head of the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care. “We aim to show that when there is a will, there is a way. In most of the countries featured, change was necessary in order to better respond to the pandemic, maintain essential health services, and support the vulnerable. These experiences provide us with many valuable lessons on the pragmatic and rapid ways of solving often long-standing barriers in strengthening primary health care.”

As they tell the primary health care story of countries across the WHO European Region, the Country Vignettes will focus on the core priorities of the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025: strengthening the role of PHC in moving towards universal health coverage; protecting populations against health emergencies; and promoting health and well-being.

The Vignettes will also zoom in on the relationship between primary health care and the EPW’s flagship initiatives: the Mental Health Coalition; Empowerment through Digital Health; the European Immunization Agenda 2030; and Behavioural and Cultural Insights.

WHO Regional Director sets focus on equity, drug security and health systems during Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum

The need to ensure drug security and equitable access to vaccines while strengthening national health systems has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a week-long visit to the Russian Federation for the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, stressed the importance of health equity and international collaboration.

SPIEF is an annual international economic forum for decision-makers, senior executives from major corporations and financial institutions, renowned experts, and pioneering entrepreneurs. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s discussions on economic issues, emerging markets and the world as a whole, were conducted with a health perspective, bringing together key sectors with substantial roles in building back better.

During the inaugural Drug Security Forum on 2 June – a platform to examine what is needed to ensure adequate and sustainable provision of medicines to the population ¬– Dr Kluge stressed the need to mitigate the pandemic’s long-term impact on health systems, economies and inequality, and ensure equitable access to essential services, medicines and technologies.

Stress testing of national health systems

Dr Kluge also delivered key note speeches at two other sessions related to the future of sustainable, resilient health systems, including “Stress-testing of national health care systems”, during which he repeated his call to countries to allocate an additional 1% of gross domestic product to primary health care.

“Countries across the WHO European Region have been quick to mobilize funds for the health system in the past year and a half. That level of spending needs to be sustained,” said Dr Kluge.

Health-care systems are only as strong as the people who maintain them. As the European Region cautiously sets its focus on building back better, one of the fundamental pillars of the European Programme of Work 2020–2025 (EPW) – “United Action for Better Health in Europe” is ensuring access to equitable health care, as well as ensuring education, continuing professional development, well-being and occupational safety of health-care workers.

“Our health workers around the globe have been phenomenal in their investment in our health through this pandemic. Now is the time to invest in theirs,” said Dr Kluge.

Commending efforts of the Russian Federation

During his visit, Dr Kluge also handed the Russian Ministry of Health the WHO World No Tobacco Day award for outstanding contributions to the fight against tobacco use. As Dr Kluge presented the award to the Russian Minister of Health, Dr Mikhail Murashko, he commended the Russian Government’s strengthened national tobacco-control legislation, which has helped reduce the number of smokers by 21% and reduce tobacco sales by almost 30% in just 7 years, from 2009 to 2016.

Dr Kluge and Dr Murashko also got together for a pre-Forum meeting to discuss and reflect on the Russian Federation’s response to COVID-19, international collaboration, strengthening of health systems, tobacco and alcohol control, tuberculosis, HIV, and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). One of the many outcomes of the meeting was the announcement of the renewed High-level Working Group on HIV, set to be co-chaired by Dr Murashko and Dr Kluge, including thematic working groups on prevention and treatment.

Dr Kluge also acknowledged the Russian Federation’s expansion of digitalization for health as well as their efforts in addressing COVID-19, in particular their policy of “leaving no one behind” by establishing a large number of easily accessible vaccination posts in urban areas and mobile vaccination teams for rural areas.

Strengthening collaboration with regional organizations

The visit to the Russian Federation also offered Dr Kluge the opportunity to meet with important subregional organizations.

During recent years, WHO/Europe has strengthened collaboration with the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS). The meeting between Dr Kluge and representatives of the IPA CIS served to prepare a joint conference on universal health care and sustainable development, set to take place in November 2021.

During a meeting with the Eurasian Economic Commission, an agreement was reached on signing a memorandum of understanding, fostering collaboration in several areas – such as regulation of medicines and medical products, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, migrants’ health, and health information systems and digital health.

WHO has a combined presence in the Russian Federation:

• the WHO Country Office, which works closely with authorities and other partners on promoting the EPW, facilitating experience exchange, piloting innovative policies and methodologies, and facilitating input of the Russian Federation into WHO global and regional programmes;
• the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, a Russia funded specialized branch of WHO that works to prevent and control NCDs, promote an intersectoral approach and develop policies to tackle NCDs.

WHO Regional Director sets focus on equity, drug security and health systems during Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum

The need to ensure drug security and equitable access to vaccines while strengthening national health systems has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a week-long visit to the Russian Federation for the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, stressed the importance of health equity and international collaboration.

SPIEF is an annual international economic forum for decision-makers, senior executives from major corporations and financial institutions, renowned experts, and pioneering entrepreneurs. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s discussions on economic issues, emerging markets and the world as a whole, were conducted with a health perspective, bringing together key sectors with substantial roles in building back better.

During the inaugural Drug Security Forum on 2 June – a platform to examine what is needed to ensure adequate and sustainable provision of medicines to the population ¬– Dr Kluge stressed the need to mitigate the pandemic’s long-term impact on health systems, economies and inequality, and ensure equitable access to essential services, medicines and technologies.

Stress testing of national health systems

Dr Kluge also delivered key note speeches at two other sessions related to the future of sustainable, resilient health systems, including “Stress-testing of national health care systems”, during which he repeated his call to countries to allocate an additional 1% of gross domestic product to primary health care.

“Countries across the WHO European Region have been quick to mobilize funds for the health system in the past year and a half. That level of spending needs to be sustained,” said Dr Kluge.

Health-care systems are only as strong as the people who maintain them. As the European Region cautiously sets its focus on building back better, one of the fundamental pillars of the European Programme of Work 2020–2025 (EPW) – “United Action for Better Health in Europe” is ensuring access to equitable health care, as well as ensuring education, continuing professional development, well-being and occupational safety of health-care workers.

“Our health workers around the globe have been phenomenal in their investment in our health through this pandemic. Now is the time to invest in theirs,” said Dr Kluge.

Commending efforts of the Russian Federation

During his visit, Dr Kluge also handed the Russian Ministry of Health the WHO World No Tobacco Day award for outstanding contributions to the fight against tobacco use. As Dr Kluge presented the award to the Russian Minister of Health, Dr Mikhail Murashko, he commended the Russian Government’s strengthened national tobacco-control legislation, which has helped reduce the number of smokers by 21% and reduce tobacco sales by almost 30% in just 7 years, from 2009 to 2016.

Dr Kluge and Dr Murashko also got together for a pre-Forum meeting to discuss and reflect on the Russian Federation’s response to COVID-19, international collaboration, strengthening of health systems, tobacco and alcohol control, tuberculosis, HIV, and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). One of the many outcomes of the meeting was the announcement of the renewed High-level Working Group on HIV, set to be co-chaired by Dr Murashko and Dr Kluge, including thematic working groups on prevention and treatment.

Dr Kluge also acknowledged the Russian Federation’s expansion of digitalization for health as well as their efforts in addressing COVID-19, in particular their policy of “leaving no one behind” by establishing a large number of easily accessible vaccination posts in urban areas and mobile vaccination teams for rural areas.

Strengthening collaboration with regional organizations

The visit to the Russian Federation also offered Dr Kluge the opportunity to meet with important subregional organizations.

During recent years, WHO/Europe has strengthened collaboration with the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS). The meeting between Dr Kluge and representatives of the IPA CIS served to prepare a joint conference on universal health care and sustainable development, set to take place in November 2021.

During a meeting with the Eurasian Economic Commission, an agreement was reached on signing a memorandum of understanding, fostering collaboration in several areas – such as regulation of medicines and medical products, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, migrants’ health, and health information systems and digital health.

WHO has a combined presence in the Russian Federation:

• the WHO Country Office, which works closely with authorities and other partners on promoting the EPW, facilitating experience exchange, piloting innovative policies and methodologies, and facilitating input of the Russian Federation into WHO global and regional programmes;
• the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, a Russia funded specialized branch of WHO that works to prevent and control NCDs, promote an intersectoral approach and develop policies to tackle NCDs.

World Blood Donor Day 2021 – Promoting blood donations in Italy

“When I think about why I donate blood, I ask myself a very simple question: ‘If I was on the other side and was in serious need of a blood transfusion, wouldn’t I hope someone had donated that blood for me?’ I have been donating blood since I was 18 and although it is a simple gesture for me, I know it is one that goes a long way for those who need it.”

This is how 31-year-old Giuseppe Mangiaracina, a painter and artist living in Milan, Italy, sees his regular blood donations at the local hospital.

“When I tell my friends to go and donate blood, I always remind them that it’s a very simple procedure, it takes very little time, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to contribute to our health system and to the health of people who might someday need blood to survive.”

Based on 2020 global data, nearly 120 million units of blood are donated every year, with 40% of these being collected in high-income countries. Between 2013 and 2018, WHO reported an increase of 7.8 million blood donations from voluntary, unpaid donors. However, this is not enough to meet the global need of many patients requiring a transfusion.

Blood donors, donor associations and national health systems

Every year on 14 June WHO marks World Blood Donor Day to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion, while emphasizing the crucial contribution that voluntary, unpaid blood donors like Giuseppe make to national health systems.

In 2021, WHO designated Italy as the host of World Blood Donor Day, with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) leading activities for the global event.

“As the national blood donation authority, we oversee all data from donors and recipients to ensure we are able to track, day-by-day, if anything new emerges in the field of blood safety,” explains Dr Vincenzo De Angelis, Director of the National Blood Centre at the ISS. “At the same time, we work in very close collaboration with voluntary blood donor associations. Associations such as the Red Cross or AVIS, for example, play a very important role as part of this national system, because they help identify and retain donors and actually collect blood themselves.”

Dr De Angelis says that in many of Italy’s regions, up to 50% of blood donations are carried out by donor associations. “They serve a crucial role in our national transfusion system.”

WHO’s campaign this year focuses on the importance of giving blood to “keep the world beating,” highlighting the essential contribution that blood donors make to keeping the world pulsating by saving lives and improving the health of others.

This year’s campaign shines a spotlight on the role of young people specifically, and the role they can play in ensuring a safe blood supply. Giuseppe says that his friends and networks have always been supportive of his regular blood donations, but he admits that the vast majority of them are not blood donors yet.

“I think most of them just don’t think about it as part of their daily life, so perhaps we need more public information campaigns, more awareness raising in schools and neighbourhoods, encouraging young people to become more aware of this phenomenon,” he says.

Donating blood during a pandemic

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 essential role of well-organized, committed, voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply during normal and emergency times.

In the Italian context, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an important effect on the way national authorities and donor associations manage blood donations.

“The need to protect both donors and staff from the risk of COVID-19 transmission urged us to implement policies and systems in place that increased the efficiency of our blood donation system,” explains Dr De Angelis. “Whereas in pre-COVID-19 times, donors often experienced long waiting times when coming to a blood donation centre, we now have an efficient scheduling system that helps avoid overcrowding and ensures that a donor can be in and out in less than 40 minutes.”

Blood and plasma

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood and makes up about 55% of our blood. The remaining 45% is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that are suspended in the plasma. Plasma is used to increase a patient’s blood volume, which can prevent shock, and helps with blood clotting. Plasma is also used to make treatments for bleeding and immunity disorders.

Plasma donations are in short supply globally; donations from blood type AB are particularly needed as this can be given to any blood group.

“When talking about blood donations,” says Dr De Angelis, “we rarely mention the importance of donating plasma. Plasma is part of blood, and it is equally important, also because it is the source of many different plasma-derived medicinal products.”