News FIODS / IFBDO
International Symposium on Plasma Supply Management – Strasburgo, 29-30 Jaunary 2019
On 29-30 January 2019 took place in Strasbourg the international Symposium on Plasma Supply Management organized by EDQM (European Directorate of the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare). The conference saw the participation of seveal experts and stakeholders, who shared their views on the possible strategies to optimise and increase plasma collection and the production of plasma-derived medicinal products at the European Union level, but also on the best ways to ensure the correct management and donor protection. Many countries introduced their national transfusion model and the best practices to be shared with the audience. At the Symposium FIODS has been asked to represent the position of the donors’ organizations, underlining their strategic role within a system that needs to stay sustainable, ethical and maintain at the very center of its values the principle of voluntary, anonymous, non remunerated, regular and responsibile blood and plasma donation, as the best way to protect both donors and patients. Our Federation has been represented by Alice Simonetti, Secretary of FIODS European Continental Committee and by dr. Michel Monsellier, President of the Committee. Between the topics discussed at the Symposium, possible scientific evidence which might support a revision – by EDQM – of the current guidelines in terms of, among others, volume and frequency of donation, but also the ethical aspects of the European system, where we have, from one side, countries which allow donors’ compensation and a huge presence of private companies, and, from the other, many countries promoting the an organization based on the complete non remuneration of blood and plasma donation, to protect dignity and safety of donors and recipients. ...
Gian Franco Massaro, and the general Director of the National Blood Centre – VIETNAM
The IFBDO President, Gian Franco Massaro, and the general Director of the National Blood Centre, Giancarlo Liumbruno’s recent visit to Vietnam has built a “bridge” between Italian and Asian blood donors. During their 4 days trip, the Italian delegation has laid the foundations for a possible cooperation between the two Countries, besides rewarding the Vietnamese donors’ experiences. The mission coincided with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Hanoi young donors Foundation. During the event, IFBDO international crosses of merit have been awarded to Bach Quoc Khanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology, and to Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, President of the Red Cross. During several meetings among the Italian delegation and the local blood world representatives, from the Director of the Vietnamese equivalent of the National Blood Centre, to the Hanoi young donors association and the local Red Cross, all the different aspects of donation and blood and hemoderivatives safety have been discussed. Vietnam has a blood collection system very similar to the Italian one, with almost 1.250.000 units collected, 97.4% of which being voluntarily collected and without remuneration, while the rest coming from “family” donation and paid donation. The Country has almost 95 million inhabitants, spread over an area slightly bigger than...
PLUS Consensus Principles on Strategies to encourage Blood and Plasma Donations in Europe – Estoril, PORTUGAL – 24/25 January 2019
The Platform of Plasma Protein Users organised a Consensus Conference in Estoril, Portugal on 24-25 January 2019 bringing together different stakeholder organisations active in the field of blood and plasma collection and fractionation. The following key principles were identified and endorsed by the stakeholders listed below during the meeting. This, with a view to inform future policy discussions in Europe around the collection of blood and plasma. These principles will also be helpful in the context of a potential revision of the EU Blood Directive. Recognition that Plasma Derived Medicinal Products (PDMPs) are life-saving therapies. Patient organisations representing the communities dependent on a stable supply of PDMPs should be involved in policy decision-making. Patient organisations call for global sufficiency of PDMPs as the ultimate goal of any regional effort to collect more plasma. Any measure or new policy aimed at increasing blood and plasma collection should ensure that it is both patient- and donor-centered, with the goal to meet growing clinical needs. Education on health questions regarding blood and plasma should be promoted throughout Europe. All measures and policies should respect and promote health and safety for patients. All measures and policies should respect and promote quality, safety of blood and plasma collection, including donors’ safety. In the interest of transparency, blood and plasma donors should be informed about how their donation can be used. Measures to increase blood collection may be different from the ones aimed at increasing plasma collection. Plasma collection through plasmapheresis is key to ensure Europe can increase its supply of plasma for fractionation. Avoiding wastage of recovered plasma is also important. All...
MONTECARLO SATURDAY NOVEMBRE 3RD 2018
MONTECARLO SATERDAY NOVEMBRE 3RD 2018 SATERDAY NOVEMBRE 3RD 2018 , AT THE HOUSE OF THE ASSOCIATIONS IN MONACO , FIODS HAS HELD TWO EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS : THE CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN COMMITTEE AND THE ESECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 12 ARE THE REPRESENTED MEMBER COUNTRIES : MONACO , FRANCE , ITALY , PORTUGAL , MOROCCO , ALGERIA , TUNISIA , DENMARK , HOLLAND , LEBANON , ALBANIA , SWITZERLAND . IN ESECUTIVE IT WAS DELIBERATED THAT THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL BE HELD IN PORTUGAL IN 2019 ....
WORKSHOP: Italy plasma, a strategic path-Catanzaro lido-26-27 October 2018
PLASMA ITALIA , A STRATEGIC PATH CATANZARO LIDO ON OCTOBER 26TH AND 27TH IN CATANZARO LIDO THERE WAS HELD A WORKSHOP “ PLASMA ITALIA , A STRATEGIC PATH. “ CO – ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL BLOOD CENTRE AND BY THE FIODS . IN THE LAST 10 YEARS , THE ITALIAN BLOOD SISTEM HAS GIVEN AN EVOLUTIONARY FRAMEWORK THAT TESTIFIES A SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN TERMS OF QUALITY , SECURITY , AND COORDINATION , BUT THAT AT THE SAME TIME HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO PROPOSE ACTIONS OF DEVOLOPMENT IN REGARDS TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY AND NORMATIVE CONTEST , TO THE PROMOTION AND PROGRAMMING OF THE BLOOD AND PLASMA DONATION , AND NOT LAST , TO THE NATIONAL SELF- SUFFICIENCY OF BLOOD AND ITS PRODUCTS , WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE PLASMA DERIVED MEDICINES . THE WORKSHOP HAS RECEIVED SUCCESS AND PARTECIPATION AND HAS REPRESENTED AN OCCATION FOR REFLECTION AND COMPARISON ON THE THEMES SAID ABOVE. Download the program ...
Be there for someone else, Rome-15 June 2018
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HELSINKI – APRIL 12th 2018 – European Blood Alliance
On April 12th 2018 the European Blood Alliance celebrated its 20th anniversary with a symposium that took place in Helsinki, where the first EBA meeting was held. The first part of the conference saw presentations by prof. Juhani Leikola (the first EBA president), who shared the milestones of the creation of the organization, by dr Philippe Vandekerckhove (the current president), underlining the main values and areas of activity of EBA, and by dr. Kari Aranko, with an overview on all the projects the European Blood Alliance is investing on, including the joint statement on the promotion of Voluntary and Non Remunerated Blood Donation (VNRD) that EBA and FIODS are going to sign in order to strenghten their cooperation in spreading this core value of their mission. On the second part of the symposium, around the theme ‘future challenges for the sustainability of the blood supply’, international guests took part in three panels dedicated respectively on safeguarding donor health and wellbeing, patients needs, good use of blood and sustainability of the transfusion system. FIODS brought the point of view of the community of blood donors and underlined the strategic role that their organizations can play in order to promote the ethical value of Voluntary Non Remunerated Blood Donation, a message that can’t really be taken for granted in the debate both at the European and International level, for the protection of donors and recipients ensuring at the same time the highest quality and safety standards for blood components. The event featured also a presentation by the President of Établissement Français du Sang, François Toujas, and has been closed by prof....
FIODS General Assembly, Rome – 29 April 2018
During the 2018 IFBDO Assembly, that took place in Rome, at the Ergife Hotel, on Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th, Gian Franco Massaro was reconfirmed as IFBDO President for the next mandate, a task he has been carrying out since 2011. Such news places a high value on the whole Italian blood system and reiterates the international leading position of our country in efficiency, security and quality service. Together with a lot of International representatives of 50 countries, also Giancarlo Maria Liumbruno (director of the National blood center, with whom president Massaro reached a collaboration agreement between IFBDO and CNS), Giuliano Grazzini (National Blood Center) and Alberto Argentoni (President of National Avis) attended the Roman conference. Donors still have a lot of international challenges to face and the date of the next meeting will be June 15th, when an international conference on plasma takes place in Rome at the National Institute of Health (Pocchiari room). Download the...
10th FIODS International Seminar Blood donation and patient blood management
The 10th FIODS International Seminar is held in the amazing castle of Castelbrando, in Cison di Valmarino (Treviso). It focuses on themes which are absolutely relevant in the international blood scenario, such as the state of blood donation and the implementation of Patient Blood Management procedures on a global scale. But how are these themes put into practice? A lot of answers were given by the President of the National Blood Center, Giancarlo Liumbruno, in the brilliant opening lecture which followed the heartfelt welcome speech given by Gianfranco Massaro, president of the Federation and real host of the...