LAKEWOOD, Colo., U.S.A. – As COVID-19 continues its impact, the majority of U.S. blood centers are still reporting significant collection declines. There was a shortfall of about 250,000 blood donations in the last three months of 2020 alone – due to canceled blood drives at schools, churches and businesses, according to ADRP, a division of America's Blood Centers, which provides half of the U.S. blood supply to over 3,500 healthcare facilities.
Blood has a short shelf life and must be continuously replenished to help those in need, including patients facing cancer, new moms experiencing childbirth complications and patients having surgery and battling trauma. One solution to curbing the donation shortfall is to call on people from all walks of life to roll up their sleeves and help their community.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is supporting ADRP with a USD 50,000 grant to allow the organization to produce educational videos aimed at encouraging eligible people to donate blood. The educational videos will cover many topics, including rare donors, first time/young donors, blood basics, platelet donations, convalescent plasma and more. ADRP and America's Blood Centers will promote the videos online and on social media and distribute them to about 600 blood centers nationwide.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies makes products that collect, process and separate blood and cells.
We work with blood centers every day, around the world, and the message is the same, we need more blood. We must develop awareness about the urgent need for blood and how easy it is to donate blood. Blood is an essential medicine. It saves lives, and it's within us all to give. Speaking from my experience with a life-threatening accident, I wouldn't be here today without blood donations.
-Michael Lees, Vice President, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Says Carla Peterson, Executive Director, ADRP: "This is a timely project given that National Blood Donor Month is in January. Our goal is to increase blood donations, replenish the national supply and help save more lives. This campaign will help us do that. We hope more people will roll up their sleeves now to donate blood."
Did You Know
- Patients needing regular blood transfusions due to inherited diseases include those with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
- There are four major blood types; however, within each blood type, additional attributes come from the individuals' ethnic background, leading to an increased need to have a diverse base of blood donors.1
- Blood transfusions can reduce stroke recurrence in sickle cell disease patients by 90%.2
- People between the ages of 20 and 24 represent 13% of the population, but fewer than 7% of these young adults donate blood.3
This is the first educational video created using the grant funds. The focus is convalescent plasma,
which is used in the treatment of some COVID-19 patients.
About Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a medical device company. Our products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Our employees around the world believe in the potential of blood and cells to do even more for patients than they do today. TERUMOBCT.COM
About ADRP
ADRP, an International Division of America's Blood Centers, educates and empowers blood banking professionals worldwide who are committed to donor recruitment, donor experience and donor management by providing a forum for networking, professional development and resource sharing. https://www.adrp.org/
1American Red Cross website. Diversity in blood types. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity.html. Accessed 18 December 2020.
2Lee MT, et al. Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anemia (STOP): extended follow-up and final results. Blood. 2006;108(3):847-852. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-10-009506.
3World Bank website. World Bank Open Data search, population ages 20-24. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.2024.MA.5Y. Accessed 18 December 2020.