When a soldier is seriously wounded in battle, they typically need to be treated early with blood and plasma to improve their likelihood of survival, but because of the way our blood components are currently formulated they cannot always be delivered quickly in the field.

September 26, 2013 (MONTREAL) – In what’s being hailed as a world first, precious proteins left over from the manufacture of plasma products from Canadian blood donors are being turned into life- and limb-saving treatments for thousands of people living with hemophilia in developing countries.

March 13, 2013 - Recently there has been a great deal of discussion about a new collection centre in this country that will pay donors for their plasma. (Blood for sale: A new low for the Canadian blood system, Toronto Star, March 5, 2013) Canadian Blood Services is not affiliated with this clinic, nor is it for us to determine if it should exist. As stewards of the national blood system (outside of Quebec), we wanted to shed some light on the collection and use of plasma in Canada and internationally. Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that can be transfused into patients with a variety of

Canadian Blood Services welcomed the publication today of the final report of the expert panel on immune globulin product supply and related impacts: Protecting Access to Immune Globulins for Canadians.

The Government of British Columbia has introduced proposed voluntary blood donation legislation that would prohibit payment for blood donations in the province. Canadian Blood Services welcomes efforts to help further strengthen Canada’s voluntary, non-remunerated, publicly funded collections model, with a view to preserving the integrity of Canada’s public blood and plasma collection system. For nearly 20 years, Canadian Blood Services has been responsible for providing Canada with a safe, secure and affordable system of blood and blood products, including drugs manufactured from human plasma

Having spent the last two decades rebuilding Canada’s blood system and regaining the trust of Canadians in this critical part of the health fabric of the country, Canadian Blood Services feels compelled to respond to Anne Kingston’s article.

Canadian Blood Services has shared an ambitious plan with governments outlining how we will ensure a safe and secure supply of plasma needed to manufacture immune globulin (Ig) for Canadian patients. The plan provides a roadmap for significantly increasing the amount of plasma we collect from Canadian donors, as per our voluntary, non-remunerated (unpaid), publicly funded collections model. Canada is self-sufficient in plasma for transfusions. However, we only collect enough plasma to meet about 17 per cent of the demand for Ig, a critical lifesaving drug. Our goal is to increase Canada’s

(OTTAWA) - As the national authority for and steward of the blood system in Canada, Canadian Blood Services continues to monitor and analyze the security of the supply of plasma needed to produce plasma protein products. The patients who benefit from these lifesaving products continue to be at the centre of our work. Canada has benefited from our ongoing analysis for many years, and we continue to assess the security of the plasma supply using an internationally recognized Risk-Based Decision-Making Framework. This Alliance of Blood Operators Risk-Based Decision-Making framework was developed

Canadian Blood Services does not and will not pay donors for blood, plasma or any other kind of donation. Many headlines lately have stated Canadian Blood Services has not ruled out paying donors. These headlines are remarkably misleading. The reality is this: it has never been our practice, and it is not our plan to pay donors. We truly value and appreciate our donors who give of themselves to help patients in need. And we believe more Canadians will volunteer to do so — without the incentive of payment. Paying for plasma A private, for-profit company recently opened in Saskatoon. It offers

(Ottawa) – Public debate on whether Canadians should be permitted to be paid for plasma donations has resurfaced. While Canadian Blood Services does not pay donors for blood, plasma or any other kind of donation, it does recognize: Drugs made from plasma donated by paid donors are just as safe as those made from plasma from volunteer donors. Access to the commercial paid plasma market is essential in ensuring enough supply so that Canadian patients continue to receive the lifesaving therapies they need. While some have argued that a parallel paid donation system for plasma could mean fewer