Open AccessGlobalization and blood donors: How to improve the blood donation in the European Union (EU)
Author(s) -
Gonçalves H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
isbt science series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1751-2824
pISSN - 1751-2816
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-2824.2011.01459.x
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , donation , european union , quality (philosophy) , nationality , globalization , order (exchange) , humanism , medicine , business , political science , public relations , law , international trade , immigration , geography , finance , philosophy , archaeology , epistemology
Background and objectives It can be estimated that there are about 900–950 blood establishments in the EU. They show significant differences in terms of: • Organizational patterns, legal status, level of quality, volume of quality. • Many blood establishments in the different Members States of the EU follow the GOOD Manufacture Practice (GMP) principles. • This is especially true when it comes to the larger ones that operate in a strict GMP environment and/or to ISO 9001:2000 standards. • There is little doubt that in smaller institutions (for example with ≤5000 donations per year) it could be difficult to fulfil the Quality Management System (QMS) requirements. Materials and Methods • Blood donation requires ethics and medical practice in a context of confirmed humanism. Human beings are at the centre of activity that goes from donor to recipient, which to be effective, requires a wide range of human, sociological, biological, medical and scientific skills. Results • Also, transfusion medicine knows no frontiers; it has to be performed in the same way whatever the country, nationality or people: the basic principles that govern it should be maintained. Europe should become a Europe for people, for altruism and should also be a place where every country can compare itself to another in order to evolve and develop it is activities with respect for Community law. In the Regional Blood Center of Coimbra, RBCC, there was in 2010 25% of blood donors between 18‐30 years old. Conclusions • It is necessary to have effective cooperation between nations and between all professionals in this new world that is the European Union, and begin now to invest in youth of each country to become blood donors.